New Beginnings?

[BrumBrum]

It had been a tense time over Christmas for the Duchies. The Telum break up and Anastasia City issues as well as the High Duke dying times were hard for the duchies, indeed the year had been hard with the attacks and multiple crises. John Peter Key hadn't expected an easy premiership but this had been tough even for the Duchies. Still at least the public were keeping the faith up with Moderates still leading.

He waited for his guests from Spain. Jesus would be arriving from Spain instead of Bethlehem and in a plane and not a manger! He hoped for a productive meeting, despite the breakdown in trust and defense cooperation being untenable, he hoped they could at least keep easier visa, scientific and cultural co-operation, crime fighting co-operation and free trade with Telum and its members.

[Spain]

Madrid, España
27th December 2021

"By train, or either by plane?" That was the question going around Jesús Aguilar's, the President of the Kingdom of Spain's, head. He knew, by experience, that the Duchians were very concerned about climate change, but would it be safe to travel by Eurorrail after all the events that had taken place during December? That is something his security service was not sure enough. Nonetheless, the President decided that the plane it would be, and when everything was ready, he departed to the Torrejón de Ardoz Airbase, where the Presidential planes were stationed waiting for a new flight to do.

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This time, Aguilar chose the Falcon, the first Presidential plane of Spain. While having a fantastic A350 ready for any mission that would require its flight, the smaller plane was chosen so the big and newest boy of the family could have some checks made on it, and some rest. The Presidential plane took off from the airbase, heading to the United Duchies. During takeoff, Aguilar looked by the window and saw the big city of Madrid getting smaller and smaller, and far as the plane ascended. He enjoyed flying the most, and even loved to look by the window in moments when other people would pray or get nervous instead.

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Cair Para Airport
United Duchies

The captain informed the President the plane was due to land, and Aguilar fastenned his seatbelt. He was reading some local newspapers, to get informed about what was happening in the grounds of one of Spain's former close allies, as well as the Spanish press headlines. He found a coincidence between both, a small but remarkable enough to attract his attention. Aguilar read the headlines, which seemed to be identical: "The Fire Opener", that is how they referred to him and the summit he was just about to start. The situation had been tense during Christmas, silence had reigned over the lines between the United Duchies and Spain, even more silence was added after Duchies joined a new alliance in the matter of 72 hours, or 3 days.

Touchdown. Soft and gentle, but enough for Jesús Aguilar to feel it. The slow down was gentle, and soon the Presidential plan found itself guided by a "Follow Me" car to the stand where it would be parked. A few minutes later, the plane came to a stop and Aguilar packed his things, headed to the front and thanked the captain for the nice flight. The door was opened, and the Duchian air hit him on the face, expectedly. He smiled, mostly to lower the possible tension there could be on both sides about this summit, and went downstairs to shake hands with John Peter Key. The Spanish President then spoke: "Good afternoon Mr. Key, how are you today? -Said Jesús, smiling, but suddenly turning into a serious face- I don't want to get into our motorcade before expressing my condolences, as well as the Royal Household and the Spanish society's for the loss of the High Duke, specially on these times when we are supposed to have fun and joy all around our towns and villages", he said.

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key shook the hand of the president of Spain. He had been waiting for this since it had been a big issue but the main priority was simple economic stability. They wanted to keep the current business arrangements , damage had been done by Telums actions but hopefully something could be salvaged . He knew they needed to do something to keep the stability even if defense partnership had gone. As the president arrived he greeted him "Good afternoon , hope you had a good journey here. Hopefully we can come up with a deal that gives good continuation to all our business community." They left towards the Cair Para Palace that was always so impressive a feast with the High Duke Elect Nikolai was prepared.

[Spain]

"The journey has been good, thank you for your interest. Despite beign Christmas, the weather is exceptionally awesome in the Iberian Peninsula and a bright sun has accompanied us during our flight", said the Spanish President. He knew there were a lot of things to be discussed, a lot of things that had to be fixed, but he had two main principles: the joint Telum departure was necessary, and he was not going to conceed on certain areas of his policy. However, even his appearance of being a stubborn man, he was looking forward to hear what the Duchian Prime Minister had to say.

Both arrived in the Cair Para palace, where the Spanish press took some photographs seeing both mandataries entering it. Unlike other leaders, Aguilar was always smiling or with a good face, he never showed a bad face during summits, no matter how bad the relationship between the countries was. Nonetless, it was worth pointing out that the relationship between Spain and the United Duchies was good, just lacking trust; and Aguilar decided it was a good idea to start the summit and, therefore, breaking the ice, with that clarification:

"This Palace has always impressed me, I must admit I am a fan of Duchian architecture, Mr. Key. Before we start and you tell me about your intentions for this summit, I would like to point out and clarify that the Spanish-Duchian relationship is at a correct status, and we only have a lack of trust towards this country. I believe it is worth mentioning it before we start to discuss the content on our agenda.", the President added.

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key listened to the president. He had to admit they'd been dissapointed but he did not want conflict and still viewed Spain as important and could see a good relationship. He replied " I must be frank , the sudden new treaty without Duchies has breached trust , we'd much rather have discussed any issues within the treaty with a meeting but thats the past and it has happened already. What we need to do now is work out how to move on, I know you do not speak for Telum but I want to keep stability therefore what we are proposing and I think we can get through parliament is to keep the freedoms companies have to register freely and without discrimination in each country having only to follow the same regulations as national companies and free trade as well as movement of capital as we had before , basically keep all the old economic policy of Telum for all Telum nations so Telum nations as a whole get free access to Duchies and vice versa, that is something we want to push , we have no grudge with Telum.

I am glad you solved the straits crisis and we must continue to back halfway across the strait as an EEZ. In any future scenario this will remain the case as we apply this to all maritime zone recognitions unless there is a treaty otherwise that is voluntary for both nations. I hope you understand and we can agree to keep all existing discounts , exemptions from fees and taxes and economic freedoms for businesses in our countries they currently have. What do you think?"

[Spain]

After the last summit, both Jesús Aguilar and John Peter Key decided to meet again a few months later in the United Duchies, to attempt another improve of relationships. Things were calmer now on both sides, and after the announcement made by the Spanish Government in which it ended the conflict in the Strait of Adventuranza, Aguilar thought it would be a good idea to travel back to the United Duchies. He only needed one call for his idea to be accepted, and off he went on April 30th to the United Duchies. After the arrival, he was once again led to the Palace where the last summit took place, and there he met the Duchian Prime Minister.

"Mr. Key, nice to see you once again, how are you today?", asked the Spanish President.

[BrumBrum]

Mr Key had to admit the relationship with Spain was rocky. He couldn't back a Spanish claim on the Underath side of the strait while Underath wanted to control their side. He said " Better now that one strait issue is resolved but we do have things to discuss."

[Spain]

Aguilar took a seat and asked for some water, which he was given immediately. He thanked the person that brought the glass of water and after some photographs were taken, both leaders were left alone. The Spanish President did already have a lot of experience when it came to tough summits, but maybe this would be different. In fact, why did some nations believe they had legal power to interfere in what he did with the Strait of Gibraltar? Of course, he would need to find a better wording for that, he had had enough crises and tensions with Adventuranza, and it was not good to start another cause of some bad worded statements. Jesús drank a little bit of water and then spoke:

"I am glad you are doing okay, Mr. Key; and I see that news have spreaded fast! As you already know, we have decided to put an end to the dispute we had with the Federal Republic of Yosai over the Sea of Adventuranza, which was pointless as no side was going to conceed a single milimetre, and that really puts an end to any Strait crisis. You implied that there is a second one, but I cannot really see it: the Kingdom of Spain has just done a protective deployment on the area to ensure its security guarantees are fulfilled and that no foreign nation attempts to break the current regulations on our waters, enter them or blow up the peaceful status the Mediterranean has at the moment.

I really do not see a reason why anyone would care about it: Underath has no ports, no ships and did not know they had waters until a few days ago, when we discovered them; which technically means they refused to own them a long time ago, and another nation came in and claimed those water as theirs, which is legitimate according to European law. I do believe that those concerns might come from the taxation imposed in your ships, that is why I came here with an offer in this document -the Spanish President extended his hand, and gave Peter a file- to show our good will: we are aware that the Mediterranean has a lot of importance for the United Duchies, specially companies trading with Inquista and sending goods there.

During my last summit with the Gibraltar Strait Security Agency director, Mr. Albert Issola, I asked him about how possible would it be to make a discount to your cargo ships and he told me he would look into it. Yesterday, I received a call from him, in which he informed me about those possibilities: he has discussed with several Gibraltarean MPs and the Government of the Autonomous City, and he has told me that it is possible to make a discount to your ships. However, he has not told me about what value the tax to your ships will have, or if a tax to your ships will still be existant, but rather he has told me to inform you about an offer he wants to make, and that is in that file: if the United Duchies accepted not to interfere with our internal or the GSSA affairs in the Strait of Gibraltar, he said the discount could be bigger than it could be if UD just accepted not to help Underath or anyone trying to interfere in our and their internal affairs.

I think it is a great offer, to be honest. Your companies win, you win, locals win, Inquistan people wins... Everyone, in fact, wins! What do you think about this proposition?". The Spanish President drank from his glass of water again, with a slight smile.

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key responded after listening. He hated this sort of talk it smacked of colonialism, everything the Duchies opposed. He considered his response but he decided he needed to be frank. He replied " You know as a people we are frank with our views and beliefs. We have stated multiple times we follow the model 10-12 miles territorial waters and up to 200 miles EEZ or halfway if the distance is less that 50% of either distance.

Also Underath have indicated to us they wish to take the claim as seen in press. They may be a medieval level nation and may only now be taking up the seas claim and that must be respected. I feel the language you are using even now smacks of colonialism and imperialism something frankly your nation doesn't have a great record on though you are by no means the only nation with such a history. All we are asking is you respect Underath and its claims on its sides of the waters. Its not a matter of just our shipping but the principle of the matter. I hope you understand we cannot make exceptions for Spain in standard policy."

[Spain]

Aguilar kept calm, he was not Simon Bridges, who got angry and serious faces when something did not go to plan, just as seen when former Internal Affairs Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker made those European Leaders Summit in Europolis. In fact, the Spanish President kind of expected that answer from the Duchian Prime Minister: he was a member of ECON, so it was clear for him that he would not conceed on his beliefs. However, being accused of colonialism is something Jesús Aguilar would not allow:

"The Strait of Gibraltar is fourteen kilometres long, Mr. Peter-Key; so as you might understand our security guarantees have to be protected. I pretty much doubt you would like and respect that a bordering nation with nuclear weapons, for example, put some of its silos just 7 kilometres away from your border, and you would fight for it not to be that way. The same happens with the Strait of Gibraltar: Spain cannot and will not allow any foreign power to put patrol ships or any military asset that is not allied to it seven kilometres off its coasts, nor to dictate any policy concerning the Strait. This is neither colonialism or imperalism, we have not put a single foot on Underathian land, nor we intend to; we are rather protecting our waters, which have been ours for centuries and which the Spanish Armada has protected many times. This does not mean Spain does not recognise other Underathian waters, they indeed have territorial waters; but the waters that were previously ours will remain ours, no matter what treaty is signed, who signs it or which equipment is sent. Also, I would like to remind you that any attack to Spanish ships from a member of ECON or any other country would lead to a huge scale war in the region; the same if any nation striked one ECON nation; so unless your friends from Reitzmag want to start World War I... I believe that you will have to accept the situation.

Speaking of ECON, I do understand that ambition to control geostrategical points around the world, it is fine, it is just not part of our interests. I am pretty much aware the World has got 5 major keys, and while your alliance does not control any of them entirely, Spain controls one. The thing is, Mr. Key; that for much ambition there is within ECON to end with a supposed, non-existant "Spanish hegemony", there is no other choice but to respect our claims unless ECON nations want to be remembered as the states who started WWI by attacking us, and I must say your nation does not deserve that blame. I have read in many newspapers multiple times that ECON aims for sovereignty of states, alright... Then respect of our sovereignty is a must if you really share that principles; otherwise you will just show the world those principles are lies and that no nation within the alliance intends to accomplish or follow them.

Waters do not work like you believe they do, Mr. Key; they are about claims and how able you are to protect them; or who got there first and if other nations have shown interest in the past. While Yosai had substantial reasons to claim its side of the Sea of Adventuranza, a nation who did not care about its "rightful" waters and never was annoyed by our presence there does not have the same reasons. The Spanish Armada has been there for centuries, as I said, why now? In fact, I believe this is fuelling an artificial country nobody is interested in, don't you think? Besides, the best thing that could be done is keeping things as they are, and maybe and if the tax really disturbs your Government, you could negotiate with the GSSA to make a discount.

Although, we are all humans and we cannot agree on everything we discuss, am I right? I guess that is the case here, so if we do not find ourselves in agreement, then let's try to avoid this conflict to create a bad relationship between our nations. Separation of topics is always a good tool to retort to in these cases!"

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key responded "This is not about ECON strategic value or anything like that we have a consistent policy those waters are Underathian. I think you need to understand how it looks , you do not have sovereignty over those waters if Underath wants to claim its waters and it should be able to let whomever in its waters and make its own defence policy. You policy is basically might makes right which is a policy the modern nations moved past years ago in favour of consistent standard and laws. Where we have waters that are close to ours that are other nations we let those nations do what them decide their policy its time you let your neighbours including Underath do the same.

Don't get me wrong we welcome the dropping of the Red Strait claim or Adventzura as you call it but it does not mean we won't press on the issue of respecting Underath. However old their technology is it doesn't mean you have the right to exploit them and treat them as a puppet state."

[Spain]

"The problem with what you just said, Mr. Peter-Key, is that neither you, nor me, can impose on each other how our nations should work or what our nations have to do, as we do not have the legal authority to do so. If a nation wants to apply a different kind of policy making in certain aspects of its competences, they must be free to do so. I do not doubt this is not about your geostrategic interests, but it is clear that the ally of yours that might provoke the First Regional War has geostrategic interests, and that is why it tries to surround Spain with as many bases as possible, something we do not do for respect and peacekeeping reasons. Underath is not treated as a puppet by us, they can get waters in many other areas, just not where we were first cause that's our way to make policies in this aspect and we will continue to do so for the years to come. We have two different ways to make things, let's just respect each other and not interfere.

As this topic is leading nowhere, I suggest we move on. Spain would like to reaffirm its compromise with Ducain Military, which existance was renewed back in 2021 until December 2027, so we really hope we can keep cooperating on that aspect. I have also heard that you wanted to speak about free travel, is that right?"

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key said "Yes we are not likely to agree. On Ducain we are willing to continue the export of our non-sensitive military ships to Ducain as we hope you are with your non-sensitive ships and likewise the jointly developed ships. I think we should continue the current arrangement in that regard."

He listened about free travel and said "Yes I believe we should continue for now the free travel policy of not requiring a visa for short visits and also keeping restrictions on goods down with all Telum countries. We hopefully can keep good economic ties , we'd also like to continue the roaming free mobile zone for all our peoples."

[Spain]

"Free travel, as well as free trade with no barriers to trade as long as goods and companies meet national standards, can be easily continued. We have no inconvenients with that, Mr. Key, and I am glad that you have not got some either. What is the Duchian stance on interchange programmes for students in their last High School years and university?"

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key responded "Indeed we believe free trade and having priority on the points system for residency and free movement on short term travel is essential. We would also definitely support education exchange programmes always good to have extra options for students so we can help universities and schools set that up and perhaps we can have pen pal schemes between our educational institutions also with a meet up for pen pals to be arranged between shools?"

[Spain]

Priority on the points system?, thought Jesús for a moment, continuing his mental dialogue with himself as the Duchian Prime Minister spoke. Does John know how the Spanish system to obtain the residency permit works? I doubt so..., he concluded. He had to correct his Duchian counterpart, which was something very uncomfortable for him, even if he was taught how to do that without looking rough.

"Mr. Peter Key, I am afraid the Kingdom of Spain does not use a points system - he began with, smiling slightly - but we instead have a series of prerequisites that candidates applying for a residence permit should meet to be given said document. In my opinion, if would be highly unfair if we gave priority to a Duchian over a Inquistan for being a citizen of your country when both must meet those prerequisites.

When it comes to the educational area of this summit, we do have an agreement. And I believe that is a wrap for this summit, unless you have anything else on your agenda. Mine has run out of topics", Aguilar said, before taking some other notes on the papers he had brought for this summit about the development of it.

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key listened and replied "Well you could also give favoured nation status to Telum as well. Its just for us to give a favoured nation status on points to Spanish we'd need similar in return. We unfortunately cannot offer a total freedom to move to Duchies as this would be unfair on the nations we already give a favoured nation status in our points system. We understand if this is not possible and can keep the existing post Telum situation and garunteeing anyone with visas gets theirs renewed as long as they keep their jobs and also ensure anyone with a visa currently can still switch jobs as long as Duchians in Spain can do the same. The issue is if Telum nations do not give a favoured nation status to Duchians is hard for us maintain a favour status in points and grant those additional 500 points for Telum Nation citizens on new visa applications for moving to Duchies." The points system had to be introduced to control numbers and establish a fair metric to judge people against the immigration cap.

[Spain]

"Sadly", the Spanish President began with, "the Spanish law does not allow me, my Government or the officials that are in charge of accepting or declining those application to give priority to a citizen from any nation, no matter if they are a member of the Treaty of Telum, or from an important country like yours. There's a series of prerequisites that must be met, if someone meets them, no matter their nationality, they are accepted; unless we have some sort of ban to their nation or something".

Aguilar thought he had explained himself pretty well, and hoped for John Peter Key to understand the situation.

[BrumBrum]

John Peter Key listened and understood "I understand sometimes I am constrained by the Duchies and other branches too. It's part of politics really. What we can do is still work to make it really easy to get education visas and education exchanges for our citizens as agreed. I think we have good agreements we can definitely as discussed still require no visas for each others citizens and allow each others citizens in on passports and if you recognise our I.D's national I.D's for each others citizens."

[Spain]

"Yeah, we definitely have great agreements. And about the national IDs from Spain and the United Duchies being valid documents for identification matters, I supposed that was on the Free Travel agreement -the Spanish President laughed slightly- so count with it. It has indeed been a great summit, and I hope it marks a new era in the Spanish-Duchian bilateral relationships."

Aguilar then shook hands with John Peter Key, both signed the Joint Declaration and Aguilar left, relieved, back to Madrid.