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Gilead-Achaian Peloponnese Relations
Topic Started: Jun 6 2014, 10:59 PM (313 Views)
Cielo
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Dux Dilecto

((OOC: We're starting over. Dealwidit!))
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United Kingdom of Cielo Solterra & Devinaria (aka Greg)

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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Kerameikos stared at the letter in front of him. “Are you absolutely certain this is authentic?” he demanded of Basileus Kypseli, who had come running into his office yet again to deliver the message.

The basileus nodded hastily. “Yes, sir,” he said. “We received it moments ago. The signal was completely secure and easily traceable, at least by us. This isn’t a trick.”

“Gregorius is going out of his way to apologize. Of course it’s a trick,” growled Kerameikos. He considered the letter for a little while longer before he said, “Peiraias, I think this is meant specifically for you.”

The minister glanced up. “Sir?”

“Gregorius claims that he wishes to apologize to Achaian Peloponnese for any offense his ambassador to Medai gave to my delegates at the neutrality summit,” the anax reminded him. “Who better to receive this apology that the offended party?”

The anax tapped the letter. “Moreover, Peiraias, I trust you to keep your head in important company. Our last ambassador to Gilead was stalled indefinitely, immediately after allowing himself to be outmaneuvered; he admitted as much to me. You, however, are my voice. When Gilead meets with you, they meet with me; if they do not know this now, they will when you arrive.” Kerameikos frowned. “When they pull whatever trick this letter represents, I expect you to be ready. You know my will here: We stand neutral, as ever. Gilead, on the other hand, might well mean war.”

Peiraias sighed, but nodded nonetheless. “I will see what they want, then,” he said. “Perhaps there might be something worth discussing after all.”

To King Gregorius of Gilead:
Kerameikos, anax of the Achaians, sends Greetings!

A letter from the king of Gilead is not to be taken lightly, never more so than when that king makes unexpected admissions. I am honored to receive this communication. Nonetheless, business within the Peloponnese continues apace, and I cannot be apart from it for any length of time. The conveniences of modern technology, sadly, cannot penetrate the closed doors of the negotiation room. I hope this does not disappoint you overmuch.

In my place, I send Peiraias, Minister of the Exterior. He speaks with my voice, as I speak for all Achaians. His efforts in Medapolis, despite every obstacle, provided Achaian Peloponnese with the best solution that circumstances could offer. I have every confidence in his ability to treat with you or your representatives on my behalf.

I look forward to learning of the results of our productive and harmonious meeting.

Kerameikos
Anax and Defender
Achaian Peloponnese
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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Minister Peiraias leaned back in his seat as the diplomatic car drove through the streets of HeavenGate. The Ministerial House was only a half-hour away now, according to the driver, and the minister had every intention of using that time to prepare himself for what he might encounter there. At this point, he still didn’t know who he was meeting; King Gregorius’s letter had referred to himself, of course, but he had certainly intended for Kerameikos himself to join him in Gilead, and Peiraias had to assume that he would not want to speak to a ‘mere’ representative. It was, to some extent, unfortunate that Peiraias would not be able to personally measure the man who effectively ruled the West. On the other hand, the minister was not keen on the possibility of trying to remain civil in the face of the king himself, when he knew already that this visit was bound to be a disaster.

And how could it not be, when proud Gilead ‘apologized’ to a nation it had previously seen fit to ridicule? Clearly Gregorius wanted something from Achaian Peloponnese, and while one would think that would give Peiraias some measure of power over the situation, in reality it only meant that Gregorius had made the minister’s nation a target. This was the precise situation that anakes of the past had fought to prevent through their isolationist, secretive policies; now Peiraias, on behalf of Kerameikos, would have to prove that hiding was not the only path to an honorable peace, and that entering the world stage could prove to be a strength all its own.

The minister narrowed his eyes as the city blocks passed him by. Gilead was a mighty nation, and angering it would be foolish on his part. But Achaian Peloponnese, while small, was not entirely weak. Peiraias would prove that.

“We’re here, sir.”

He had to prove that.
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Cielo
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Dux Dilecto

Palace of Majesty - Hall of Legacy
1630


"Your Majesty, why am I to be present at all in this meeting," the Ambassador to Medai inquired of his King.

Gregorius replied, "It was your sharp, while ancient, tongue which has upset the newly diplomatic nation. You will apologize for your inappropriate behavior, and you will do so without the condescending tone I know you're so famous for. Ah, he is arriving now, walk with me."

Gregorius had no real idea of who this man was besides the very biased accounting of the virtually senile ambassador. He hadn't decided to waste intelligence efforts on finding out either. However, he knew that even dictatorships required a level of respect from their foreign cohorts in order to maintain the peace and stability on any and all fronts. "I know they want no part in the war, but perhaps I can try to nudge them into favoring our side at least," he thought to himself.

They took the King's car to the Ministerial House and waited in the main lobby for their guest.

Ministerial House
1700


When the dignitary arrived, they walked to the entrance and greeted the foreigner with brilliant smiles. The old ambassador even extended a hand to shake, following the King's lead.

"Welcome to the United Kingdom of Gileadan States," Gregorius began, "Right, now, follow us. The meeting room isn't far from here."

United Kingdom of Cielo Solterra & Devinaria (aka Greg)

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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Peiraias nodded and shook the hands that were offered to him, deciding to ignore the brusqueness of the king’s order as well as he could; it was an indication of the likely direction this meeting would take, but it was not necessarily unexpected from the monarch of Gilead. What was unexpected was the fact that King Gregorius had met him in person, and had dragged the old ambassador to Medai along with him. As it was evident from his body language that Ambassador McCormick was not present by his own desire, Peiraias could only assume that King Gregorius intended to lay the blame for incident on the ambassador’s shoulders alone. Considering McCormick’s words and actions in Medapolis, the Achaian minister could not discount that Gregorius was right to do so, but whether or not the ambassador was fully at fault really didn’t matter to Peiraias. This was an easy out for both Gilead and Achaian Peloponnese: Gregorius could act blameless, while Kerameikos could accept the offered apology with good grace and return to normalized relations with Gilead (as he would eventually be forced to do anyway) with his head held high.

With all that in mind, Minister Peiraias smiled back at his hosts. “Thank you for your welcome and your invitation, Your Majesty,” he said, falling into step behind the king as the group turned back to the Ministerial House. “I appreciate the time you’re taking to meet with me today.” For half a moment Peiraias entertained the thought of speaking to McCormick as well, but then he let it go. Let the old man do as he would, or as he dared in the presence of his king; he was important only for the meaning behind his presence. He would just have to accept that Peiraias would focus his attention where it mattered most.
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Cielo
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As they walked through the Ministerial House, many of the staff bowed in respect to the King, saying "Majesty" as he walked by. The men made their way to the King's private elevator and went up to his primary office in the building. The entire trip only took about two minutes, but the aged ambassador was already short of breath, so Gregorius reserved his impulse to have the man issue his apology then send him on his way, as he wanted the old geezer to rest for a bit.

His office a comfortable one. Books lined shelves, some colonial-era upholstery laid atop a rug which had the royal coat of arms sewn into it. Two sofas lined either side of the ovate rug were sofas which the men sat on; the King and ambassador on one, the Peloponnese on the other. A wooden table with wondrous carvings etched into it was occupied by three glasses of cold apple cider and another three glasses on water.

To break the silence, Gregorius looked at the ambassador and cleared his throat.

The man promptly, or as promptly as he could, issued the following apology, "Your Excellency, I truly ask your pardon for my unruly behavior on the day of the Neutrality Summit in the Medaian Republic. I have disgraced my King, my country, and my God in the process, so I ask that you will forgive my actions and lift some burden of this incredible guilt I bear."

Satisfied, but wondering what his guest thought of the apology, Gregorius turned to the man and awaited words to come from his mouth.

United Kingdom of Cielo Solterra & Devinaria (aka Greg)

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Mastropa
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Peiraias observed the reaction of the staff to the king’s presence and allowed himself to wonder who the audience of the show was supposed to be. This was the way of most monarchs, the minister knew, but the purpose behind it still eluded him. He could only assume that outsiders such as he were supposed to be impressed by the display, because he doubted that Gregorius was at all gratified by it if the king’s composure was anything to go by. After a moment’s thought, the minister decided against acting awed by the display; he was not a particularly good actor, after all, and even if Gregorius were to be fooled by it, the king would only look down on Peiraias as ‘provincial.’ At the very least, that would be his own likely reaction to anyone entering the Megaron and being amazed by the defensive installations (those few that were visible, anyway).

Once the three men had settled into their seats in Gregorius’s office, however, Peiraias did find himself momentarily speechless at the elaborate apology that Ambassador McCormick had been made to recite. ‘That was unexpectedly unnecessary,’ he thought to himself. ‘Is Gregorius really that apologetic—well, I know the answer to that—or does he think that I will be gratified by the gesture? Or,’ Peiraias considered, ‘does Gregorius simply want to humiliate McCormick?’ It was certainly possible, the minister supposed. Not that it mattered; the answer would have to be the same regardless.

“Ambassador McCormick, I accept your apology on my own behalf, and on behalf of my anax,” Peiraias said formally. “I can only hope that this eases your burden.” Turning to King Gregorius, he said, “Your Majesty, Achaian Peloponnese bears no ill will toward your nation or your people for this or any other reason.” ‘It would be pointless to bother,’ the minister thought to himself, ‘if not suicidal.’ “It is true that relations between Gilead and Achaian Peloponnese are currently stalled, but I understand that this is a result of unfortunate accidents of timing—especially when the attention of the world has been focused almost totally on the current war overseas. Now, however, it seems that our mutual preoccupation is moving into a new and… hopefully more peaceful stage. If you have no objection, Your Majesty, I believe that there is no better time than this to enter into discussions once again.”
Edited by Mastropa, Jun 17 2014, 06:41 AM.
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Cielo
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"Indeed," the King agreed. He then turned to the old man and said, "My ambassador, you may go now. The guards will grant you access to the elevator to ease your trip to the main lobby."

Turning back to his guest, Gregorius pulled sighed, then laughed a little, "I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. That man is quite the stubborn one, it's why I sent him to Medai. Didn't need an invertebrate weakening the voice of my kingdom. Now, do tell me, what is the status of your country's economy?"

United Kingdom of Cielo Solterra & Devinaria (aka Greg)

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Mastropa
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Peiraias smiled; it appeared that the baited hook was being laid before him. “The Achaian economy prospers better than it has any right to,” he said. “Our mineral resources are plentiful, and supply both our manufacturing and our market-driven needs. We have stored up plenty of materials for a… ‘rainy day,’ I believe is the term you use in Gilead. And while we are mainly focused on domestic production, it is also true that we are beginning to look for new markets abroad. Our neighbors in Izalith have already agreed to work with us diplomatically and economically for the foreseeable future, and we are in the process of entering into eastern markets. Once the war is finally over—and the anax has reasonably optimistic hopes that a negotiated peace can be reached in Legantus—Achaian products will hopefully find their way into Victorian markets as far north as Saros.”

The minister allowed his smile to dim. “As I’m sure you have realized, Your Majesty, a great deal of that speech remains sadly hypothetical. Much of it is in the planning stages at the moment. And while we have real trading arrangements with a few nations at the moment—Medai and Brasilia to start with, with the UCSS being almost certain to join them among our trading partners—the fact remains that the majority of our economic activity remains domestic for the moment.” Peiraias shook his head. “That we base ourselves on domestic production is, on its own, not unfortunate,” he said, “but we are aware nonetheless that Achaian Peloponnese can achieve much more in the international market than our current business model seems to suggest.”
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Cielo
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"Hmm, well, if you would, explain the design of the Peloponnese economy as well as what it has to offer and what it needs. I know that the private sector here can't wait to see what type of consumer bases they can find to tap into. And there are bountiful markets of which your country will surely find interest in."

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Mastropa
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Peiraias thought for a moment. “If by ‘design’ you are referring to the amount of government involvement,” he began, “I can only answer with generalities. For the most part, the Megaron maintains a reasonable amount of supervision over any given industry, with more strict regulation governing those industries that directly affect Achaian national security: mining and manufacturing, most of all. The Megaron awards monopolies in those critical industries to companies and corporations that the Office of Economics knows to be trustworthy. The companies maintain a close relationship with the Megaron to ensure that the interests of the nation and those industries always align.

“This is also the case with some other industries that are of interest to the government,” the minister continued, “especially those that the Megaron believes will have a future impact on national security, even if they are only peripherally important at the moment. If the Megaron is interested in any particular industry that is not large enough to warrant extended interest from other entities”—or at least, entities that met with the approval of the anax, Peiraias thought—“the Megaron will often provide the start-up capital and manpower to begin developing the industry under the government’s umbrella. In the end, the personnel involved would be expected to form into a corporate entity and thus separate from government control; nonetheless, such an industry would continue to operate under the scrutiny of the Megaron as a matter of course.”

Peiraias shrugged. “I speak mainly of what we consider ‘heavy industries,’ Your Majesty,” he said. “I understand that the international community has its own definition for that term, but to the Megaron, such an industry is a producer of bulk products for the consumption of large entities such as the government or other corporations. Many of the same corporations and companies that provide these services under the government’s regulation are also involved with more private enterprises, however, selling products outside of the government’s interest to citizens or to entirely-private retailers. These markets are populated by companies that exist outside of the government’s scrutiny, and even the corporations who are favored by the government in heavy industry are expected to compete on their own merits where so-called ‘light’ or ‘common’ industry is concerned. Obviously there is some regulation of these industries as well, but it is undertaken by a committee that answers only indirectly to the Office of Economics.”

The minister nodded to King Gregorius. “In terms of consumer bases, Your Majesty, your nation’s companies will almost certainly find themselves welcomed into the Achaian economy. The Megaron has no objection to entering into beneficial relationships with Gileadan companies that work within industries of interest to the anax and the various basileis, and companies trading in consumer goods and retail will be free to compete for customers with our domestic companies. Achaian Peloponnese has no intention of disadvantaging foreign companies that are interested in selling products to the Achaian public—assuming that those products are not banned from public sale, of course.” Peiraias smiled. “With all this in mind, Your Majesty, your nation’s companies will certainly find a great demand in the public and the private sector.”

The minister had no idea whether or not Gilead would appreciate this economic regulation by the Megaron, but the fact of the matter was that government—largely military—control over certain aspects of the economy kept the nation safe and self-reliant. The anax and the Office of Economics were not averse to buying supplies, equipment, or anything else from other nations, but the Megaron’s stance remained firm that Achaian Peloponnese could not depend on such foreign products for its survival; Achaian Peloponnese could not and would never depend on anyone else for its fundamental existence.

“Just as we look forward to welcoming the companies of Gilead into our markets,” Peiraias continued, “our larger corporations are interested in entering into markets on this side of the Reval Ocean. Such expansion will be gradual on our side of things, if it is in fact deemed possible; the companies that are large enough to take such a step are also those whose primary business is to provide for the national defense through Megaron-regulated industries, and depending on the potential profits they might simply decide to maintain a focus on their domestic production.” The minister smiled again. “All that said, Your Majesty, the Megaron’s regulation of heavy industry does not necessarily translate into an outright ban on export, though that admittedly is the usual result. The Megaron desires to trade in such materials only with nations that are trustworthy, considering the national importance of the materials themselves. As such, the corporations are forbidden to negotiate trade agreements relating to heavy industries with foreign corporations or governments on their own initiative. However, foreign entities—corporations or governments—are always free to apply to the Office of Economics to enter into trade in our heavy industries.” Peiraias leaned forward. “Heavy industry contracts are also acceptable bargaining points during any diplomatic negotiation between Achaian Peloponnese and any international partner, subject to the Achaian negotiator’s personal judgment. Your Majesty, I have no doubt in my mind that entering into trade with the United Kingdom of Gilead will have no detrimental effect on Achaian Peloponnese; as such, I am both capable of such negotiation, and am more than willing to enter into it.”
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Cielo
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Gregorius was an intelligent man and had good wits about him, even though he was beginning to age. He took in all the information the Minister was providing and made a few written notes; his mind could sometimes wonder away, so notes helped him stay on track whenever he was swept away into a reverie.

When Peiraias finished speaking, he took a moment to formulate his next moves, though he did know one thing that he wanted to get done our of all things. Leaning forward, towards his guest, Gregorius began taking out an official folder and a pen while beginning to speak, "I know that your country is new to the global economy, so you have not yet suffered the inconvenience of hefty tariffs, or taxes on exports from recipient nations. I can tell you that such impediments to business stimulation are contrary to the Gileadan way. As such, I would like to see lower tariffs between our nations, not necessarily free trade, but lower tariffs. In this way, Gileadan consumers will have more access to Peloponnese exports and businesses from Gilead can more easily, while in a limited manner, enter some of the domestic markets of your country."

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Mastropa
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Peiraias thought for a moment. “I would like to know just what lower tariffs you are proposing, Your Majesty,” he said. “On our end, we are not averse to accepting Gileadan companies into the Achaian marketplace to freely compete with our own in the private sector, as long as those companies are willing to pay taxes proportional to the income they receive on our soil. I have no doubt that Achaians will flock to purchase foreign products, for the novelty if for nothing else; after our long isolation, no one alive remembers a time when foreign products could be purchased at all, let alone with ease. Nonetheless,” the minister said, “I believe that the majority of the business between our nations will likely come from heavy industry, and as such it will require direct negotiations with the Megaron. Do you believe that your corporations will have any concerns about dealing directly with our Office of Economics?”
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Cielo
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"I would propose our respectful economic authorities negotiate on mutually beneficial and optimal tariffs for both sides, allowing for each side to benefit in revenues as well as abundant trade. As for Gileadan businesses, they re very familiar with the idea of going through a government to get to their consumer bases, as I have designed for Gilead a system in which wholly capitalistic practice reigns not. Needless to say, I believe they will work well with the Megarun."

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Minister Peiraias nodded. “I believe a meeting between our economic advisors would be best,” he agreed. “I happily admit that I am not an expert in the field. To my ear, however, Achaian Peloponnese will be most satisfied with your proposal.”

The minister smiled. “I am curious about what companies and kinds of products are likely to come our way from Gilead,” he said. “Is that something that you will dictate, Your Majesty, or will the companies make that determination for themselves?”
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