En route pour L'Inquista! - The Saint Dominico Summit
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The Prime Minister paused. Gallorum's economic worth, 2.1 trillion euros, was only 1/6th the size of Inquista's economy. Gallorum was still building and growing and this was an immense opportunity. She began.
"Obviously, the barriers to capital, sales and the like between our two nations should come down. My only concern is of course ensuring the rights of the workforce. I will say yes to this if we can ensure that we have some harmonisation on workers' rights, workplace standards, workplace disputes and a way to register to have the right to work in both nations. It is right, though, that we try to work as close as possible in the challenges that we face together. With allies in Christ, we can find ways to do many things. Of course when it comes to the products and services themselves, we absolutely will ensure that it is zero tariff trade. I will respect the right of Inquista to apply any VAT or GST to Gallic goods and services in Inquista as long as goods made in Inquista are subject to the same VAT or GST. The same, then, would be true of Inquistan products and services in Gallorum.
"In order to facilitate the free movement of goods, I'm sure the Archbishop would want free movement of people between our nations. I am sure that with proper documentation, proof of employment and comparable background checks, the right to abode and the right to work can be included in a deal that allows visa-free travel between our nations. Would that suit the Archbishop?"
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Archbishop Craticus nodded keenly in agreement as he shifted in his seat.
"I would most certainly be happy to include the harmonization of worker's rights, workplace standards and workplace disputes into an agreement. After all, whatever agreement that we draw up today should only be in the best interest of our workers. Protecting the well-being of our people should always come before profit. Not only our workers, but also for our environment. I would be most pleased if you would also agree to a clause which would require that Gallorum join Inquista in reducing its current levels of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 12% by 2030. I would also like to make it clear that Inquista has banned chloride and sulfur pollutants, and we would like to refrain from trading with countries which still allow those pollutants to be emitted.
"I agree to your proposal on free movement. As long as travelers abide by the current rules and regulations of both our countries, and carry the proper documentation, then I see no reason not to allow it. After all, I am aware that Gallorum is country which many Inquistan tourists visit each year, and I would thus like to see the burden of travel eased for them. In addition to visa-free travel, I would like to give special attention to the students which study in each of our own respective countries. Education is obviously quite important to Gallorum, as it is to Inquista. As you mentioned, Gallorum has a robust education sector, and it is home to many prestigious universities. In order to encourage students to study between our countries, as well as to make studying easier in general, I suggest that we give certain guarantees to the study permits that our students obtain while studying at the other state. We should guarantee that study permits allow students to stay in the respective state for the duration of the time of their degree, as well as a year-long grace period following the completion of their degree. Study permits should also allow students to work in the host country without requiring a work permit or any other permit."
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Prime Minister Baschet smiled. She knew that a bill was coming forward to get emissions down by 25% in 2030, so when the Archbishop mentioned that she replied, "We have a bill on the floor of the Chamber of Deputies when Parliament resumes that will pledge this current and future governments to reducing emissions by 25% in 2030, so that takes care of that part. Gallorum has also banned similar pollutants now.
"I am absolutely confident that the changes to study permits to allow students to stay in the country to complete their degree and also stay for a grace period and work will be accepted at home. "
"Now, I did remember you wanted to talk about security cooperation. Apart from a standard defensive treaty and training exercises, would anything catch your eye?"
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"It is of the utmost importance that we cooperate on defending the peace, liberty and sovereignty of our respective states. As you suggest, a defensive pact and joint military exercises would be most beneficial.
"I would also suggest that we share intelligence and create an intelligence-sharing network and database between our respective militaries. The European Union has been no stranger to terrorism. Not even Inquista has been immune to its horrors. As I'm sure you know, Inquista has a history with the Crusade Against Corruption. While Inquista was once a playground for those terrorist actors, we have been without incident since 2013, and Inquista is now one of the safest countries in Europe. Inquista managed to avoid being one of the many states targeted in the 2015 terrorist attacks, which included such powers as the Duxburian Union and Angleter. Inquista has managed to successfully combat and suppress terrorism through our steadfast dedication to sharing and using intelligence gathered by our allies.
"Furthermore, Inquista is particularly dedicated to safeguarding the data, privacy and information of our citizens, businesses and Church. Since becoming Archbishop, I have dedicated an exceptional amount of attention to developing Inquista's cyberdefense and cyberwarfare capabilities. This is an area of defense in which Inquista continues to divert more attention and resources with each passing year. As a result of these efforts, Inquista was one of the few if not only states that was largely unaffected by the hacking practices of the Duxburian Union and its corporations following the revelations made by Mr. Snowden. I would happily arrange for Inquistan cyberdefense technicians to train and share best practices with your own intelligence units. A joint cyberdefense network, in addition to the intelligence-sharing network, could be set-up, and Inquista and Gallorum could work together to fend-off cyberterrorism. "
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"Absolutely, Archbishop Craticus. Both points on defence are something that the Government can get behind. We are saddened that Inquista was targeted at all, but appreciate the immense work that your intelligence and security forces have been able to do. The Duxburian hack sounds quite frightening. We've seen them before coming to the European Union and I think that their capability is absurd.
"Still, we believe in Gallorum that it is best to act with friendly intent backed by strength of conviction. We may be a new nation, and perhaps not the most powerful but our strength is in our people, our culture, and our values," the Prime Minister replied. She looked at her notes and it seemed to be the end of her talking points.
"Quelle surprise! I don't seem to have too much else to add to this, Archbishop. Would you care to add anything else, or shall we leave it to the aides to sort out some of the details and legal terminology?"
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Barely before the Prime Minister could finish her question, Mr. Costa jumped up from his seat.
"Madame Prime Minister, I have been carefully summarizing all the the points of the negotiations today. I have already formatted all points into a short declaration. That is, of course, unless His Holiness has anything to add?" Mr. Costa said turning to face Archbishop Craticus.
"No, that is it, thank you, Costa. I believe we have discussed all the points we intended to cover today. I am quite pleased that we see eye-to-eye, Prime Minister," Craticus said as he lifted his cup of coffee from the side table. Craticus then proceeded to finish the remainder of his coffee in one final gulp.
Mr. Costa then turned to the Prime Minister. "Of course, as you say, we will have some lawyers and other aides codify today's agreement into an official agreement that will be presented to both our legislatures for ratification. However, this declaration I have created here will serve as the stand-in document which you will both be able sign today."
Mr. Costa suddenly produced the agreement out of nowhere and handed it to Craticus. Quickly producing documents was one of Mr. Costa's many talents. Craticus hurriedly scanned the document with a steely, concentrated gaze. As Craticus studied the document, Mr. Costa crossed to the other side of the study towards a fireplace. Mr. Costa reached above the fireplace and picked up a small, intricately designed metal box that was sitting on the mantle. The small metal box seemed centuries old and the copper colour was in the midst of fading into a bleak white colour. Mr. Costa walked back to the Archbishop and opened the box, revealing a metal pen inside. Craticus carefully grabbed the pen from the velvet interior of the box and signed the agreement.
"Perfect," Craticus muttered aloud as he signed the declaration.
Craticus then placed the pen back into the box. The Archbishop handed the agreement towards Mr. Costa, who then grabbed the document with his right hand as he carefully held the box in his left hand. Mr. Costa then spun around and walked towards the Gallic Prime Minister, holding out both the declaration and the pen.
Craticus then began to speak again, stating one last final request. "I would be most pleased if I could visit Gallorum in the future, particularly to meet with the leaders of the Gallic Orthodox Church. It wouldn't be to discuss matters of state. Rather, I would be interested in starting dialogue towards a partial communion of our Orthodox Churches. While I know this doesn't concern the authority of your office, I'm sure you know people who know people that can set this visit up for another time."
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"Monseigneur Germain, Archbishop of Saint-Therese...he'd be the one I could talk to about getting the Gallic Orthodox Church to become in partial communion with the Inquistan Orthodox Church. I'll make sure to mention it to Her Majesty when I return. She and the Archbishop communicate quite frequently as head of state and head of the national religion," the Prime Minister replied to Paul as she signed the document as well.
She pulled out her own pen. Her pen was the colours of the flag of the Kingdom and had a small golden rooster head on the top.
"Thank you, Archbishop. I have had this pen as a gift from being out of service from the Marine Commandos and I always bring it with me to sign any documents," the Prime Minister replied. "It has been a pleasure. Now, off to enjoy some refreshment and sport, non? I hope they give us a good match today! Oh, I did bring this as a present from Gallorum."
The aides brought in two crates: one was clearly labelled vin and the other champagne.
"We've brought you the finest in Gallic wines and champagne. The wine crate has Bordeaux cabernet and Bourgogne pinot noir from premier cru; the champagne of course is one of our best labels. The champagne is Krug's Clos de Mesnil."
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Cratcicus' eyes lit up when he saw the crates of wine and champagne brought into the room by the Gallic aides. The Archbishop's normally very serious face cracked for a second, showing a rare moment of true joy wash up on his face. "Prime Minister! You shouldn't of," Craticus said, bringing his hands to his mouth. "God bless you. This is an amazing gift, thank you. Thank you."
After being in a state in pure excitement, Craticus nearly fell backwards from his seat and quickly snapped back to reality. "We also have a gift for you, Prime Minister. Costa, please?" Craticus said catching his balance and looking upwards to Mr. Costa.
Mr. Costa left the room and then quickly entered again, very carefully carrying what seemed to be a large red velvet cushion with both his hands. On top of the cushion were some glass earrings and glass necklaces. Mr. Costa carefully walked to the Gallic Prime Minister and showed her the gifts.
"I've been told these are from Laurel Conti's upcoming autumn collection. She's one of Inquista's most renowned jewelers. Glass jewelry is a traditional style native of Saint Dominico. I have also been told this one is a special one-of-a-kind apparently, made just for the occasion of your visit," Mr. Costa noted, pointing to one of the pair of glass earnings which was decorated in red, white and blue, the national colours of Gallorum.
Craticus then got up from his seat and shook hands with Prime Minister Baschet. "Prime Minister, it has been an absolute pleasure to host these discussions with you today. I cannot express how grateful I am that you were able to join me today and that we were able to come to such a mutually beneficial agreement. This agreement is just the beginning of what will surely be an exceptioanlly cooperative and friendly alliance between our nations."
After shaking hands with the Prime Minister, Craticus took a step towards the door and gestured for the Gallic Prime Minister to follow. "Now, let us have some lunch before we depart for the rugby game. The game will begin in about an hour and a half, but the stadium is less than 20 minutes away. We can enjoy some light food and refreshments before we leave. I requested that we only have a single course meal. We will probably have more to eat and drink at the game later, so our lunch won't be anything grandiose."
Archbishop Craticus then led the Gallic Prime Minister and her aides through the maze of Archbishop's Palace to the other side of the building, where a small theatre was located. The theatre was a very small, intimate room which was luxuriously decorated and seemed to be very old. It was an intimate place where the Prime Minister and the Archbishop could dine while receiving a performance from the nearby stage. A large table was set up in the middle of the theatre room for the Archbishop and the Prime Minister, while smaller tables were set up around the room for the Gallic and Inquistan aides, who were encouraged to mingle with one another.
"This theatre is one of the original rooms of the Archbishop's Palace." Craticus explained as he seated the Gallic Prime Minister and himself. "It was built with the Palace in 1340. It's seen many performances since then. Ludocvico Einaudi performed a concert in here for me and other members of the Inqusitan Orthodox Church only just last week. Mr. Einaudi will be making an appearance at the Royal Festival of European Arts and Culture on behalf of Inquista. I do hope you will be able to hear one of his compositions."
A waiter then materialized beside the Archbishop and Prime Minister. Before letting the waiter speak, the Archbishop's eyes lit up again and he looked at the Prime Minister with a smile. "Ah, could we start with a bottle of champagne that our most esteemed guests brought for us? Krug's Clos de Mesnil," Craticus commanded. "Thank you."
The waiter bowed. The waiter left and then quickly returned with a silver tray, carrying two champagne flutes and the bottle of champagne requested by the Archbishop. The waiter carefully placed the champagne flutes by the Archbishop and Prime Minister and poured the Gallic champagne. The waiter then stood up straight and talked in a quiet, cool tone. "For lunch we will be serving a Panzanella salad with truffles and blue cheese vinaigrette."
The water bowed again and returned with two more silver trays, carrying the salads for the Archbishop and Prime Minister. After serving the food, the waiter bowed once more and left the table.
The theatre room suddenly went very dark as a light was then shone onto the theatre stage. Craticus looked up from his food and gazed at the stage. "Lizzo will be performing. With her flute, again," Craticus explained. "I think."
> Lizzo got up on stage and started to play the flute to the tune of her song"Juice".
As Lizzo played her flute she jumped from the stage onto the nearest table, kicking the food and drinks off the table as she played her instrument and danced. Lizzo then jumped onto another nearby table and continued to dance as she played. Lizzo hopped from table to table until she finally hopped onto the table of the Archbishop and Prime Minister. Lizzo stepped on both of the salads of the Prime Minister and the Archbishop and twerked while playing her flute. Lizzo then slut dropped. "Gallorum be up here in this bitch! Bienvenue to Inquista!"
Lizzo then made her way around round the rest of the room, kicking and standing on the food, twerking and dancing. Finally, Lizzo's song came to a crescendo and ended. Lizzo ran back on the stage and bowed. Archbishop Craticus looked down at his ruined salad and muttered in disappointment, "Well, I wasn't hungry anyway."
All the Inquistans in the room stood up and began clapping and cheering. "Lizzo! Lizzo! Lizzo!" they cheered.
Archbishop Craticus got up from his seat and clapped. The Archbishop then looked at the Gallic Prime Minister. "Does Gallorum also have high culture?"
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The Prime Minister gasped when she saw the earrings and necklace. She bowed upon receiving them before saying, "These are wonderful, Archbishop. Glass jewelry has a delicate nature and clarity unlike the metals and precious stones. Thank you so much. I will cherish these forever."
The Prime Minister received the handshake and answered back, "D'accord, Archbishop. This has been an extraordinary trip to an extraordinary nation. Gallorum is honoured to have a friend in Inquista, and I agree that this is the beginning of a cooperative, friendly and special alliance between our nations. "
The aides, in a split-second private moment gave the Prime Minister a thumbs up. She smiled back at them before the Archbishop announced lunch.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Ms. Baschet answered back. "I do personally enjoy a nice Inquistan-style salad. The cuisine here is so fresh and vibrant." The theatre's decorations reminded the Prime Minister of some of the ornate designs at the Palais Vaillant, the summer palace of the Royal Family of Gallorum.
Ludovico Einaudi, a wonderful composer, was someone that the Prime Minister was not familiar with. When it came to the popular composers of Gallorum, the European greats...Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, were familiar. Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky were born in Gallorum and their music constantly filled concert halls and salons.
"Excellent, I look forward to his performance and the Inquistan delegation as well," Prime Minister Baschet said to the Archbishop, tucking into the salad.
As Lizzo performed, even when she surprised the Prime Minister, she was thoroughly entertained. She was caught slightly off-guard by the Archbishop's question.
"If there is one thing the Gaulois take in whenever they travel to another country is they take in the culture. They find a museum, they go to the theatre, they see the fashion and then they digest it and appreciate it," the Prime Minister explained. "I may be biased, but Gallorum has had an embarrassment of cultural riches to choose from and it permeates the culture. We love it when people come here and bring their best examples of their nation. The Royal Family are patrons of the high art, and our people appreciate all art. Lizzo would do amazingly well in Gallorum's arenas on a concerto tour. As would Beyonce or Adele...but someone basic like a Tinashe or a Ciara might find it rougher to gain traction.
"Our pop stars...Stromae, Angele, Aya Nakamura, Matt Pokora, Anais Delva, Christine and the Queens, Mome, LUM!X, Lara Fabian, Celine Dion...they have something about them that have given them some longevity. But I'm sure you could say the same thing about the pantheon of pop stars in Inquista," replied the Prime Minister. "We pride ourselves on a rich heritage of culture but we also pride ourselves in staying relevant and putting out high quality and being on the cutting edge of visual and performance art. Our cinema is world renown for its artistic aims and goals. One day, I'd like to see a film festival circuit so we can see the biggest and highest achieving art films of our nations," replied the Prime Minister.
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"Gallorum has quite the musical talent! I’m a big fan of Celine Dion myself. I'm glad that she's making music again. She's definitely an icon. Inquista and Gallorum ought to put together some sort of musical festival to showcase the musical talent of our up-an-coming artists. I can give you the contact information of Bishop Secretary Penelope Clarke, my Bishop Secretary of Sport, Culture and Tourism. I'm certain she would be ecstatic to organize some sort joint musical festival with your relevant government minister.
"A film festival circuit would be amazing, too! Paolo Sorrentino and Luca Guadagnino will be showcasing some of their finest films on behalf of Inquista at the expo in Aurelis. There's far more film talent that needs to be recognized, however, and a film circuit would be an amazing opportunity to showcase the creativity and imaginations of our people. I will make certain that an Inquistan delegation would be present for such an event.
"Between you and I, there's actually a film being made about me at the moment. It's being made by a big studio with a big budget. It's not really autobiographical, though. It's more of a political thriller. I'm not really supposed to say anything. All I will say is that they’ve cast Luke Evans as me, which initially made me pretty happy because he's a fantastic actor. But they've cast Kit Harington as Councillor Firoux and I'm not pleased that they've cast someone much more handsome than Luke Evans in that role. At tops, Councillor Firoux is a 5/10, don't you agree? Seems biased to me."
As Archbishop Craticus finished rambling, he glanced down at his watch. "Ah. We ought to get going. I'm sure our aides will begin harassing us at any minute in attempt to get us to depart. We have 50 minutes until the match begins."
Craticus got up from his seat and stood up straight. "Prime Minister... may I call you Elisabeth? Please feel free to call me Paul. I will have an aide escort you and your delegation back to your vehicle, and we will meet up again at the stadium. The friendly is being played at City Circus Stadium. It's by the ocean, so it’s quite the sight. I will see you again there."
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The crowd was roaring in excitement as the Gallic and Inquistan national rugby teams clashed. While the game was technically an international friendly, both the teams were among the strongest of Europe, so it quickly became a highly competitive game.
Archbishop Craticus is very competitive and he often found himself getting emotionally invested in sports games, and this was no exception. He pitied the Gallic Prime Minister who had to put up with his antics. Craticus twitched in his seat as the score line between the two teams continued to remain close. When a Gallic winger managed to intercept the ball from an Inquistan pass, Archbishop Craticus jumped up from his seat with his wine in his hand. The Archbishop then began to wave his arms wildly in a bout of anxiety, with his wine splashing out of his cup and onto his shoes and the shoes of the Gallic Prime Minister.
"Come on!" Craticus yelled in frustration at the game below.
The Gallic winger then ran across the field and managed to score a try, sending Craticus into a fit. Craticus threw his cup and the remainder of its content into the crowd below. Craticus clasped his hands together and then hung his head down and began to pray that Gallorum wouldn't be able to score the conversion point.
Craticus began to whisper the Gloria Patri aloud. "Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen."
He looked upwards at the field with restrained disgust. He observed the ball as it flew upward, between the posts, giving Gallorum the two extra conversion points.
Archbishop Craticus instantly fell back into his seat, rage storming across his face.
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After the game was over, the Archbishop and the Prime Minister went onto the field and met with both of the national teams. Archbishop Craticus shook the hands of the Inquistan team, telling them how proud he was of them. He then shook the hands of the Gallic players, telling them how well they had played today. Archbishop Craticus and Prime Minister Elisabeth Baschet then posed with both of the teams and allowed the press to take pictures. After the small media affair, the Archbishop approached the Gallic Prime Minister for a farewell.
"The Gallic squad played magnificent today. They were a pleasure to meet as well. The ethos of your people runs deep. Considering the discipline and organization of your people, I'm not surprised that they make formidable rugby players."
Craticus smiled and extended his hand to the Prime Minister.
"Again, I would just like to reiterate what a pleasure it has been to host you in Inquista on this blessed day. I'm certain it won't be too long before I make my way to Gallorum. Please pass on my best wishes to your government.
“I will introduce the agreement that we drafted today to the College of Bishops once we reconvene in the beginning of September. It will ratified with the utmost urgency and efficiency. I hope I can expect the same.
“Well, I will let you and your team be on their way. I have passed on my personal phone number to one of the aides who works in your office. You can personally call me should you need anything. You will always have an ally in me in Inquista. I hope that you have a safe and pleasant trip back to Gallorum. Take care and may God bless you."
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"Oh perfect! I'll make sure to connect Bishop Secretary Clarke with Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay. I think they'll get on well and continue to foster opportunities for our citizens to experience Inquistan culture and vice versa," the Prime Minister smiled.
When she was told about the film and who was playing whom, she looked for a moment. She didn't think Kit Harrington was that great of a fit for Councillor Firoux, so she nodded in agreement when the Archbishop mentioned it.
"Non, I'd rather have seen a real cameo for Firoux or someone far less handsome. You have a distinct look that is wonderfully handsome," Ms. Baschet responded. She had heard from Marion Rousselot that Firoux was a very handsome man, but Marion didn't know what she was talking about all the time. Besides, Firoux wasn't her type.
The game was exhilarating and while the Prime Minister did show her joy at the Gallic side getting the job done, she made sure to keep it subdued. It would be extremely rude to have been wined and dined by such a welcoming host and then rub it in their face.
"Thank you for the compliment. Our side definitely felt like they had something to prove going up against the famous Inquistan squad," the Prime Minister said to the Archbishop. "Paul, thank you for being a gracious host. I will be bringing this back to Cabinet and Her Majesty. I'm very certain that royal assent will be given to this. The Chamber of Deputies is full of people who believe in trade, so it should pass.
"Likewise, if you ever need anything in the North, I am a phone call away," the Prime Minister smiled. She returned to the car, ready to return to Gallo Deux and a flight home.
