A Summer Encounter (Spain-Elthize Summit)
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"I'll be content with a bottle of water," Grimwald replied, and then looked at Oscar to see what he had to order. "Well... I'll be honest, I came here with an empty stomach, so... I'll take whichever food is most convenient for you guys right now," Oscar replied, which wasn't the reply Grimwald was expecting, but he tried to not care.
"Oh, yes, we're aware of the increased security," Grimwald replied to Alfonso. "In fact, I'm surprised we didn't arrive here late because of the traffic."
"That's because I told Jan to schedule the flight an hour earlier," Oscar interrupted Grimwald.
"Oh? You did?" Grimwald was surprised, as he wasn't aware of it at all.
"But yes, we are aware that today is... quite important." Oscar continued, ignoring Grimwald.
Grimwald was not expecting the question about the air conditioner crisis from Aguilar, but he guessed it wasn't too surprising either. "Business as usual, Mr Aguilar. That's what Elthic people want, you know. Stability. The AC crisis... could be worse, the AC shipments from abroad are relieving it a lot. Duchian companies, especially, are quite competent. However, the stocks are still fragile and economists don't expect prices to go normal for a couple of months. Hell, by the looks of it, anything cooling and refreshing was impacted by a price hike. It's still quite hot in Forecoaster."
"But, you know, this isn't our first rodeo," Oscar entered. "Hot summers are a part of our lives, so we're prepared for everything, basically."
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The Palacio de la Moncloa's service rushed to the kitchen, where they prepared a delicious, big, tasty Spanish Omelette for the four men. When the omelette made its entrance to the meeting room, the Salón Tapiès, Aguilar could not avoid giving it a look. The waiter clarified the big omelette was for all of them, after looking at the face of the Elthic Minister for Foreign Affairs, that seemed puzzled. The waiter was thanked by the Spanish President and left the gentlemen alone. Jesús then took a pincho de tortilla and eat alongside his friend Alfonso, who invited their counterparts to taste it. When Aguilar swallowed his pincho, he spoke: "there are two ways of eating the Tortilla de Patatas: with a pincho, or with the fork. When you are in company of your friends or in a private party, is usually served this way. But in restaurants and other places, you are expected to use the fork. It can also be served in sandwiches, that is because bread and the omelette together taste awesomely".
Aguilar listened interested to what President Grimwald had to say about the A/C crisis that had been going on in Elthize recently, making the first offer of the summit: "if you guys need some help to put an end to the crisis, just tell us. I am pretty sure that some Spanish companies will be willing to enter or reinforce their presence on your nation's market to help your citizens. Which actually, takes me to the first point of my agenda... - Aguilar said, opening his agenda and reading what the first point was -- trade. How receptive is your Government to achieving a free trade deal? We would of course keep some restrictions, mostly like the ones we have in most of our treaties and joint statements, but what were you both thinking about?"
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Oscar was definitely surprised by the huge omelette that came into the room, as when he said when he was hungry, he wasn't expecting more than a sandwich. He first thanked the chef, then Aguilar, before tasting the omelette for the first time.
"Wow, this is delicious," he added. He then asked Grimwald if he wanted to try the omelette.
"I'm somewhat full but I guess I'll take a bite," Grimwald replied, taking a fork to eat the omelette himself. He wasn't as enthusiastic as Oscar was, but he wasn't complaining. When Alfonso asked him whether he enjoyed the meal, he replied with a simple yet satisfied "It's fine."
"Mr Aguilar, I'm pretty sure the Spanish companies are also competing at the Elthic market right now. Thanks for the support, but it's not an issue," Oscar replied.
"Yes, the free market is doing its job," Grimwald continued. He then took a sip of his water and answered the other question:
"And free trade would be great, of course. I mean, Spain is already one of Elthize's largest trade partners, so why not take it a step further?" After that, Oscar added in.
"Mr Aguilar, could you elaborate and explain the restrictions your country keeps, please?"
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"Of course, the restricitions we have are these 2: first, the ability of carrying out cargo checks from time to time to avoid threats to both countries' national security -it would not be the first time that someone tries to squeeze drugs into Spain with diamonds- and second, analyzing our food products from time to time, just to avoid the surge of illnesses. I trust Elthic companies meet all the food security standards, but it is okay to check sometimes, isn't it?", concluded Aguilar, who drank a little bit of water. "Nevertheless, these conditions would be reciprocal, so we play in equal conditions".
"Should we discuss free travel now, Mr. Grimwald? I have heard a lot of Elthics usually choose Spain for their summer holidays, and my Government would like to allow them to enjoy their holidays without having to worry about a visa when they arrive, about having a valid passport... Many carriers, such as Iberia or Air Europa, have shown interest in increasing frequencies to Elthize. What do you think?", said the Spanish President, while he noted the outcome of the Free Trade agreement.
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"How on earth did they do that? " Grimwald chuckled when his colleague talked about drugs squeezed into diamonds. "No, seriously, did they make the diamond around the drugs? I don't see any to her way, aside from breaking the diamond itself- but that seems implausible... Wait, why would they use real diamonds for that..?"
"But yes, we have no issue with these background checks, as we also have our own, so it's fair game." Crofton interrupted, realizing that Grimwald got off track concerningly quickly. He then took another bite from the omelette and continued: "We take food security very seriously and have our institutions dedicated solely to ensure Elthic people are eating clean food. I like that you mentioned this, it shows that you guys share the same concern with us. It's great." He then took a sip of water.
"Yes, Oscar is correct, gentlemen," Grimwald recognized. "Sorry about that, I was thinking too much about the diamond drug thing," he continued, laughing.
"We wholeheartedly support free travel between the two countries," Grimwald replied to Aguilar's free travel question. "In fact, our eagerness to initiate free travel agreements between Elthize and other countries is one of our most popular policies among Elthic people. I also note that this will be beneficial for both of our economies, as tourism is a huge part of both of them. Our airlines have also been adding extra trips to Spain. Eee, our most famous low-cost carrier doubled its trips compared to 2019, for instance. A similar increase can be seen with Elthize Airlines." He then took a sip of water, continuing:
"You know, another thing that would help our fellow travellers is skipping the exchange office... Our beloved florins, while they are popular, an international currency would be far better, right? Elthize has been trying to be a part of the Treaty of Finisterre -and subsequently, use the EMU- for a while now, and, Mr Aguilar, I would like to know your opinion on Elthize joining this treaty."
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Dastis was not surprised about Grimwald's curiosity about how someone had attempted to squeeze drugs into Spain using diamonds, and he got a picture out of his folder and handed it to the Elthic delegation: "Do you see that horrible, diamond-made horse head? Well, that is where the cocaine came in. Someone managed to squeeze 35 kilograms, worth nine million euros, into the head. When it arrived at the airport customs and went through the common checks, the police officers detected something pretty strange, and decided to open it. To their surprise, they found this amazing shipment...", Dastis concluded, laughing too.
Aguilar then listened to Grimwald remarks on tourism, which he agreed with: "Indeed, Mr. Grimwald, it will be very benefitial for our economies as soon as the agreement is on place. I am also glad to hear about the growing interest of Elthic carriers in connecting our countries, and I hope that this new era for mobility between our countries gives them another push to increase frequencies even more. May I ask if any of you have ever been here for holidays?"
Then, the European Monetary Unit and the Treaty of Finisterre were brought up, and Dastis was quick enough to hand up the requisites to be a member of the EMUclub. Spain nor Aguilar opposed to new members, they had just approved Leagio's application, but Elthize needed to make some efforts first. Aguilar spoke: "We are not opposed to Elthize's entrance into the Treaty of Finisterre, however there are a series of requisites to become a member: the first exchange rate data provided by the ECB must be over or equal to 1.58$, and last time I checked Elthize's was in 1.41$. Also, the EMUclub and the Bank of Europe would need to authorise your entry, but I am pretty sure that no one will oppose to your entry once your country meets that requisite."
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The diamond-drug situation itself was already hilarious, but when the horse head came into the picture, Grimwald became hysterical. He didn't remember the last time when he laughed this hard, hell, there might not even be a time where he laughed this hard before, at least not to the point where he had tears in his eyes. Crofton, who was not as amused as Grimwald, also started laughing because of how hard Grimwald was laughing. "My God, cut it out, Greenwich!" he cried.
"I... I have to go, I'm so sorry, I need to regain my composure," Grimwald managed to blurt it out between his tears of laughter, standing up and going to the conveniently placed washroom in the palace, it took him around ten minutes to get it together, and during that time he cursed something about the horse head multiple times. The remaining three in the room were also entertained by how funny Grimwald found this incident. After calming down a little, Crofton said: "Don't tell him I told you this but, Alfonso, you gotta hide that... If he sees it for a second time he'll probably piss his pants!"
When Grimwald came back, he was much calmer and embarrassed. "Gentlemen, I am so sorry for my freakshow behaviour, it distracted us from our work."
"No, no, it's fine, Greenwich. I love this. I'm so tired of diplomacy sometimes it's nice to have a break!" Crofton replied, trying to cheer him up.
"Sure... let's pretend this never happened, or something."
The summit commenced once again. When Aguilar asked whether the Elthic delegation had ever been to Spain before, Crofton was the first one to answer:
"Oh, yeah! Spain is my father's favourite vacation spot. He took us frequently here for vacation, particularly to Valencia. I have fond memories of the beaches, the first time I got sunburnt like a damn rotisserie, the nightlife, the first time I got laid..."
"Great achievements," Grimwald interrupted.
"Not my fault you were a virgin before Imogen," Crofton shot back immediately.
"Whatever. As for me, well, I've been here a couple of times. For holiday, only once, unfortunately. It was mostly business. I'm a busy man, so I don't get the opportunity to travel for leisure."
"I suggest retiring in 2026," Oscar snarkily replied. "Don't worry, I'll make sure there's a good successor in our party."
"Ha. Very funny, Oscar, consider joining some open mic nights." Grimwald further added: "Anyway, Londres is incredible, though. My late father was born there because my grandma broke her water on a holiday, so there's that. Have you guys ever been to Elthize? For any reason?"
Regarding Elthize joining the EMUzone, neither Grimwald nor Crofton was surprised at the answer. Elthize was still a new name in the European Union, so some distrust was to be expected.
"Well, that is disappointing," Grimwald replied. "But we understand."
"And we appreciate the support," Crofton added. "We, and the rest of Elthize are very enthusiastic about a common currency. I have a question, though, do we need unanimous approval from the treaty signatories to be able to join the treaty?"
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"I have been in Forecoaster a couple of times when I was young. Now I look at it through Google Maps from time to time, and I see how much it has changed since the last time I was there! Definitely, it is a pending visit for me", answered Aguilar. On his side, Alfonso had never been to Elthize, though he had read a lot about it, just like he did with any other country in Europe, basically to understand their mindset and have the most optimal approach to them, within the Spanish foreign policy guidelines and interests. Maybe, that was what would save him from a Government purge if it ever happened.
"Usually nobody is opposed to the entrance of a member into the European Monetary Union, so we do not know at all what would happen if somebody opposed to your entrance. Meeting the requisite I have told you about is like one of these 'golden tickets' some people taking part in 'Got Talent' get when one judge loves their performace. If you achieve that, you should not face any issues", Dastis said, trying to motivate the Elthics now that they both had somewhat ruined their day.
"Now, I would like to bring up gas into the summit agenda", said Aguilar. "I do not know if it was clickbait or not, but yesterday I read about the possibility of having a gas pipeline under the sea that connected Elthize with Spain through the Coast of Africa. Have you actually considered this and, if you have, what is your Government stance on this topic?", the President asked. One of his main goals was diversifying the Spanish gas supplies, and Elthize would play a big role on that matter.
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"I see. Thanks for clarifying, Crofton replied to Dastis, satisfied with the response.
Grimwald was surprised that the topic of a gas pipeline to Spain was brought up. While the idea was always up in the air for the cabinet, very few elaborated on how they would do it. Regardless, he replied:
"We've been having talks about that, yes. However, it is also important to note that a pipeline from Elthize to Spain has to pass through the waters of Yosai, and there needs to be an agreement with them as well. In addition, Leagio, our neighbours, have a preferential trade status with us, which we would like to keep for now."
"In addition, this is a complex topic that we can talk about in further detail in another summit, inviting Yosai as well. They can benefit from this, too," Crofton further added.
"Yes, yes, we can do that," Grimwald replied.
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"I guess that will add a difficulty to the gas pipeline, but we will see how far this goes. Another alternative would be going through Leagio and the DU, to California and Spain, if the first one fails. More countries could benefit from the pipeline and I believe it would be cheaper than having to put a pipeline under the sea. But I will leave that up to you and your cabinet, just contact us when there are some news if you do not mind", said Aguilar.
Jesús then looked at his agenda and saw that he had run out of topics to discuss, and so he decided to tell the Elthics about this: "From my side, everything I had on my agenda has been discussed. Is there anything you would like to speak about, Mr. Grimwald? If not, I would like to invite you to sign the 'Libro de Visitas' of the Palacio de la Moncloa, where all the leaders that visit this residence sign and leave a message". The President said, giving his agenda to Dastis.
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"I suppose that would be more beneficial," Crofton replied. "Again, this needs planning... And not like we can't have both, right?"
"Yes, I will inform you of any concerning news. Feel free to contact me anytime, Aguilar," Grimwald continued.
After all signs showed that the meeting was about to end, Grimwald checked if there was anything left to be discussed, and found one:
"Well, I have one last question. What is your administration's stance on a potential Elthic neutrality motion?"
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"It's up to Elthize to decide, Oscar. I guess the ball is on your court now!", Dastis answered to his counterpart, laughing slightly immediately after.
"If Elthize wishes to become a neutral state, and has indeed remained neutral throughout its recent history, the Spanish Government nor Donald Tusk will oppose to supporting the motion. I understand you are planning to submit one by those words in the Council, am I right?", the President wondered.
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"Well, yes, it's in the works. Our fellow councillor Liam Zachary is working on it endlessly," Crofton replied. Shortly after, Grimwald got up with the intent to finally finish the summit:
"Well... Thanks for hosting us on this busy morning. I am glad we could end this summit without dispute."
"We would love to visit around a little, but we are also busy and need to return to Forecoaster. We also wish good luck with the Telum summit, Crofton continued. The duo then proceeded to shake hands with their Spanish colleagues, waiting to leave a little message before they left.
The Kingdom of Spain