Second Esquarian Summit [Esquarium Only | IC]

[Tuthina]

Second Esquarian Summit
IC Thread
OOC/Discussion Thread

---

Welcome to Miyako of Sakan, or Inkyan as it is known within the Imperial realm. For the last thousand year, it has been the residence of the Emperors of the Most Serene Empire and - during the golden days of the Empire, one of the most prosperous cities the world has even seen. Although its role as the beating heart of the Imperial economy has long been delegated to other burgeoning settlements on the Home Islands and beyond, the Imperial capital will always serve as a living testimony of the glory of the Empire.

While the capital city is famous - perhaps infamous - for its rigorous maintenance of the original architecture dating back for more than a millennium - older than many countries in the world - it would be a mistake to assume Miyako of Sakan as simply a relic of a bygone era. Not only do modern infrastructure from water, electricity and internet connection flows beneath the ancient buildings from the golden age of the Empire, but a fully-modernised city has been built as an expansion of the Imperial capital: the Empire simply believes that modernity and the disciplines of the ancestors can coexist, as long as there are those willing to listen to them.

---

Avenue: Imperial Retreat, of the Imperial Botanical Garden

As approved by His Most Serene Majesty, the Summit will be held in one of His retreated located in the Imperial Botanical Garden. Despite its name, the Imperial Botanical Garden is no mere greenhouse: it would be more convenient to consider it as a large park. Diligently maintained by members of the Imperial Cult, the botanical garden is home to numerous types of flora and small fauna hailing from all corners of the world. The idea that every flowers - regardless of their origin - can blossom in the same place, proudly displaying their beauty without overshadowing others represent the millennia-long wish for the Empire to see all cultures coexist peacefully, which is also one of the main goals of the Esquarian Summit.

The Imperial Retreat is surrounded by the botanical garden, providing participants with clear atmosphere and pleasant scenery as a relief from the turmoil of sprawling metropolis and burdening politics. Designed and built for Emperors, the Retreat is among the proudest achievement of Imperial engineering, where the marriage of modern material and machinery and traditional architecture creates a building that is both comforting for its inhabitants, and aesthetically characterises the long history of the Empire.

Although it is not meant to be a place for proper feasts, the Retreat has built-in kitchens and chambers private and public alike, where participants can relax and nourish themselves with quality food provided by the best cook of the Empire - if not the world - to maintain the best performance for the Summit. It also has an annex, showcasing some of the rarest flora and art collections of His Most Serene Majesty, which will be open to all participants of the Summit.

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Abode: Gyouwa Kaikan

During the Summit, Gyouwa Kaikan will be the designated residence of all foreign participants of the Esquarian Summit. Located at the edge of the New capital, Gyouwa Kaikan is reserved to only the most wealthy and powerful individuals both inside and outside the Imperial realm, and thus the perfect location for participants of the Summit to receive their well-deserved rest after each session of the meeting. The 12-floor main building houses more than 400 rooms of various size and architecture, every single one of them designed and built with the highest quality one can imagine. Apart from rooms designed with traditional Imperial culture in mind, Gyouwa Kaikan also offer suites built after luxurious and comforting abodes from all corners of the world, ensuring that entrants will fell right at their home at the other side of the vast ocean if they wish so.

Gyouwa Kaikan is also home to one of the most well-maintained and staffed kitchens in the Empire, if not the entire world. Supported by the Culinary Office of the Imperial government, participants will be provided with high-quality food from numerous cultures both within and without the Imperial realm, so that everyone will be able to satisfy their body and mind to the fullest. Outside the feast hall, Gyouwa Kaikan also offer a wide selection of entertainment and recreation in both its main building and annex, including hot spring, bowling avenue, theatre, library and regulated swimming pool.

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Transportation: Anegaha International Aerodrome

Most participants will arrive in the Imperial realm through Anegaha International Aerodrome. As one of the few gateways to the world, Anegaha is fully-equipped to serve all kinds of air transportation in the world, from state-of-the-art passenger liner to durable military transport, as well as majestic air ships and flying boats. As honourable guests of the Empire, all participants will be escorted through VIP passages of the building, leading them directly to the platform, where express trains reserved for them will ensure them a comfortable and quick journey from the aerodrome to the Imperial capital. For those who wish to approach the Summit avenue more directly, restricted airports in Miyako of Sakan are also available for their entrance to the Imperial realm.

While participants are welcomed to bring their own vehicles for transportation for the duration of their stay, the Empire will also provide limousines and chauffeur in their service, which will be able to provide swift transportation between numerous spots for the Summit, as well as other recreational destinations to their heart's content. Access to express ways are also granted to spare them from the usual traffics of the Imperial citizenry.

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Security

As prestigious guests of His Most Serene Majesty and His Empire, all participants will receive protection and security of the highest grade from all branches of the Imperial government and military. For the duration of the Summit, both Gyouwa Kaikan and the Imperial Botanical Garden will only be accessible to members of the Summit, designated servants and workers of the Empire, as well as individuals who have passed both security check and approval by relevant participants. The perimeter of the avenue, located within the Imperial capital, will be defended by the elite guard division of the Imperial military, ensuring that nothing short of "a full invasion by a superpower" would be able to disturb our guests at the Summit. Similarly, all important passageways - including Anegaha International Aerodrome on the day of arrival - will be reserved to members of the Summit only, and guarded by personal bodyguards of His Most Serene Majesty.

• All countries and contested polities can participate, even those that we do not recognise. They will not be treated differently. Similarly, countries/polities will not be barred from this RP due to IC reasons. However, they CAN be barred from it due to OOC reasons, such as godmodding or being a general pain in the arse in this RP and refusing to correct it after being warned.
• There would not be event-breaking drama such as protesters breaking in or mysterious murders.
• Unless requested otherwise, I will not cart players through scenes. It is safe to assume your delegates and whatnot will arrive at the conference room without hassles. However, I can detail some of the scenery if the players want.

[Tuthina]

The sun slowly rose from beyond the Great Ocean into the dim winter sky, as its gentle glow illuminated the Home Islands and dispelled the looming darkness of the night. While the coldest days in the year had passed, they still left their mark on the archipelago: thousands of islands, small and big, were mostly covered by a pale evergreen vegetation, littered by occasion spots of white and blue. From a distant glance, the pristine islands would give the false impression of them being undisturbed virgin land, but the small patches of grey blocks and lone towers scattered across the landscape indicated that it had already been claimed.

For those more educated in history, though, they would most likely know that the Home Islands were also home to the Most Serene Empire, or Tuthina as most outside its boundary would call the polity. As one of the first civilisations in the world, the Empire was quite proud of its heritage as among the oldest surviving governments: according to official records, the Empire had ruled for three millennia, and it was clearly determined to remain in power with any means necessary. Perhaps because of that, the arrival of modernity did not, as some would expect, bestow the country with a more "modern" government system, instead seemingly only served to reinforce the pseudo-feudal and theocratic nature of the ancient regime.

The Empire was, however, clearly aware of the modern age, and the power technology could brought. Most guests from beyond the Imperial realm - and thus across the vast azure main - would arrive at Anegaha International Aerodrome, one of the few portals in the Empire to the wider world. As their craft descended from the clouds, the Mizuho metropolitan area - the largest settlement in the Empire - could be seen briefly resting between the mountains of the North Island, before it was obstructed by a small hill as the flying machines landed on a large, but seemingly barren runway.

Yet, as soon as they touched the large stretch of asphalt that could hold probably the largest bombers in the world, they were greeted by ground maintenance crew that one would expect from a typical international airport. The true nature of the aerodrome was revealed as the planes were guided to the end of the runway and towards the hill between the city and the runway: the majority of the terminal building was hidden within the mountain. That said, the terminal itself was a lot more pleasant than any typical cave or air raid shelters: the inner walls were carefully decorated with traditional Imperial paintings, and the atmosphere was also maintained at comfortable temperature and humidity, making it possibly warmer than the winter air outside.

At the terminal or the ground, welcoming crews had also been dispatched to greet the foreign dignitaries. While they were well-dressed and adorned, they were - as expected - dressed in traditional Imperial garments, creating a somewhat surreal contrast to the modernistic structures and state-of-the-art technology used to construct this underground terminal. Similarly, the security crew wore a similar, decorated but not exactly utilitarian garments, and was armed with both ancient Imperial swords and modern side arms. As advertised, they seemed to be among the personal guards of the Emperor, the undisputed and unrestricted ruler of this realm. Perhaps because of them, most of them looked quite beautiful and refined, if not for the serious and determined look on their face as they saluted to the guest.

"Welcome, " The welcoming officers greeted, in remarkably clear foreign tongue or the preferred equivalent of individual guests. "to His Most Serene Majesty's Empire."

[Kavgaci]

A small private jet touched down at the Anegaha International Aerodrome. Inside was the Kılavuz himself, Kadir Üzümcü. The Kılavuz sat in a seat next to his adviser and son, Cêlal Üzümcü. Four guards stood up, clutching their MPT rifles. They got into diamond formation and exited the plane. A tall guard at the front of the formation gave the all-clear and the Kılavuz stood up and entered the formation while Cêlal stayed behind. An armored limousine flying the Kavgacian flag was waiting for them. A guard saluted and opened the door for the Kılavuz. He got in the car and they drove towards the Imperial Retreat.

After a semi-long trip they arrived. First the guards got out and then the Kılavuz. They entered the Imperial Retreat. It was a grand building, it had an integrated botanical garden. The Kılavuz and his guards walked over to the Tuthnian monarch and saluted him. He took a seat and waited for the other delegates to arrive.

[Luziyca]

President Breuvi Shjoraski had never witnessed this before: he felt like he was travelling back in time to those stories his great uncle told him about fighting the First Namo-Luziycan war: how Namor was stuck in the past and described the splendour in which Namor was: the ornate walls, how undisturbed it seemed to be... but as soon as he saw Tuthina, he realized that the great uncle that has long since gone to see the Almighty Lord may have very well described Tuthina.

Much like the northeast of Luziyca, it was blanketed in snow, but unlike back home, there was quite a lot of forest, and little in the way of modern buildings, especially in Miyako of Sinkan, the capital of what the Tuthinans called the "Most Serene Empire." In a way, these islands seemed to have a sense of mystique and an attraction that if he were in the 1800s, he'd gladly set sail to take those lands over for the freest nation.

However, his jet, known as Air Force One started to land. He began to prepare for the summit: he knew that it would be at the splendid Imperial Retreat: the brochure seemed to give a lovely impression. In addition, the hotel wasn't all that shabby either: it had all the amenities like that back in his home country. He sighed.

The plane soon touched down at the Anegaha International Aerodrome: when he first read about it, he assumed it was just an airstrip or some airport that only does domestic flights. However, it turned out that it is actually a beautiful international airport, and one of the few gateways towards Tuthina.

When the plane stopped, Shjoraski got up, and felt a little nervous. But he advanced forward, towards the terminal, he was greeted by Tuthinan officials. After hearing that greeting, Shjoraski headed towards the limousine, and headed to the Imperial Retreat.

[Pavonistade]

The loss faced by Vadopolis during the bidding process was not akin to to the importance of the Second Esquarian Summit. Indeed, President Mattheu Azurite was prepared for anything in relation to the summit, whether or not the Pavonistadians get to host it.

As the sky was lit by the sun, a well-restructured Airbus A318 descended down towards the Anegaha International Aerodrome. It was the Presidential Plane, marked well with the Pavonistadian tricolor and with the warm sun on the vertical tail. It skiied to a neat stop and off went President Azurite and his four security guards, each dressed in black uniforms and armed with one electroshock gun and one SIG Sauer P220. Easily, Azurite noticed the Tuthinan officers that were readying their moves to greet all attendees. "Welcome," they spoke with a rather non-native accent, "to His Most Serene Majesty's Empire."

"Good day to you all!" President Azurite faced the officers and briefly responded, as did the security guards. It only took seconds for all five people to truly sense the difference between the climate of Tuthina and that of Pavonistade's. "Clearly it's much colder here," the President crossed his arms and thought to himself, "I'd prefer staying in the all-year warm weather." Passing out of the aerodome was a black limousine, with each rear-view mirror neighbored by small Pavonistadian flags (one being basic tricolor flag, another being the current flag).

The President was seated inside the limousine along with the four guards. It shielded everyone inside from the weather of Tuthina, which would be thought of as frigid by [sub]tropical Pavonistadians. It then destined itself for the Imperial Retreat that was located in the Imperial Botanical Garden. President Azurite found his way to the appropriate seats, and after noticing delegates from Kavgaci and Luziyca (OOC: assuming the latter's delegates were seated already) he was to patiently waited for the Second Esquarian Summit.

[Namor]

Miyako of Sakan, Tuthina

---

Fu Wen wished he wasn't here.

Sitting in his Air Namor plane which was headed for Miyako of Sakan in Tuthina, the President-General of Namor wondered how Tuthina won the bid for the second Esquarian summit at all. Tuthina has never had a good relationship with Namor; the former is probably the only country that still recognizes some non-existent imperial government as the legitimate government of Namor and actively supports the restoration of a monarchy, which to many Namorese makes no sense because they knew there was no chance of the Antelopian Dynasty coming back. Tuthina doesn't recognize the People's Republic, leading Fu to think that once he reaches the destination he'll be arrested and, who knows, sold into slavery? He had read several articles about Tuthina (he managed to reserve a bit of time doing so) and his impression of the "Most Serene Empire" was...not so great.

The plane was about to descend. At this moment, Fu thought about how he actually considered to send Vice President Derrick Lee over instead of himself. Most of the cabinet agreed with him, but it was Foreign Minister Shen Wuhong who talked him out of it because refusal to attend the summit would lead to an international incident and wouldn't look good for Namor. Fu ultimately decided that, like Tuthina or not, he was headed to a summit to discuss international topics. For a country of significant influence like Namor, the President-General's absence in such a summit is greatly unacceptable regardless of where it's held.

Rumbling was heard. The plane had touched ground at the Anegaha International Aerodome (Fu chuckled at that name, he had only heard of "airports"), but then he realized that the "aerodome" looks like an airport, and decided that the two words are synonymous.

Fu stepped out of the plane; he only broke a small grin. He usually smiled broadly when greeting other officials, but now, not so much. He kept this "diplomatic" grin as he approached Tuthinan officials, gave them simple salutations before making his way to the Imperial Retreat.

[Britanno]

Marcus Browning looked at James Williams as if to say “fuck off”. His Minister of Foreign Affairs had just proposed a rethink of Britannon policy towards the growing friendship between Namor and Luziyca within the last half an hour of the journey to Tuthina.

The two men had a complex relationship. Neither one fully trusted the other, but they were both aware that their survival depended on each other. Browning had been made Prime Minister two months earlier following the end to a two month political deadlock in which no government was formed, but it came at a price. His Conservatives had always preferred a deal with the centrist Liberals but the numbers never added up. He had to go with Williams’ Christian Democrats and rely on crossbench support from the Liberals - not a position he liked.

He was desperate to call another election. His approval ratings were high and the Liberals were recovering in the polls. He could have formed a new government by the end of spring. But the previous year had seen the public go through no less than three general elections. The November election had seen turnout at just 45%, the lowest in decades. He would have to wait until at least the winter.

So he was stuck with the Christian Democrats – a party he considered outdated and unfit for office. Social conservatism was dying, and yet they had still managed to finished third in November. And now he faced himself with the leader of the Christian Democrats, his Foreign Minister, telling him that they needed to shift policy.

Browning was well aware of the economic argument Williams was making. Stronger Namo-Bethlehem ties would help business, create jobs and growth and help to lift the poor out of poverty. But it came at a cost. Namor would pay less attention to the human rights abuses of President Shjoraski and the criminal dictator might well exploit it to get rid of an elected government somewhere all over again. Fu Wen wouldn’t help. The recently re-elected President-General of Namor was a greedy businessman leading an administration far to the right of what could be considered fair.

Both men argued their case in the Prime Minister’s official jet, and in the end Williams was forced to accept the continuation of foreign policy. The Britannon government was fragile, but Marcus Browning was determined to enter the summit stronger than ever before. It was his first official visit abroad as Prime Minister and, despite a rebellion brewing back home about lowering the age of criminal responsibility and a Foreign Minister who disagreed with him, he was ready for what the summit had to throw at him.

When the jet landed in Tuthina, separate cars drove the two men to their destination. When they arrived at the Imperial Retreat, both men greeted the Tuthinan Emperor in the traditional manner, shaking hands whilst bowing. Both men shook the hands of the other leaders present before sitting down together in the seats allocated.

[Atlantia Creek]

President Kia Sorrente was bitterly sad that La Playa lost the bidding round. She was on Air Force One to Anegaha International Aerodrome in Tuthina. She was reading a book and wondered how the summit was going to turn out. She had heard horror stories about the last two summits. Two hours went until the plane prepared for its descent to Anegaha International Aerodrome in Miyaku of Sakan. She waved at the crowd waiting for her arrival and the limousine whisked her off to the imperial retreat.

[North Daecon]

As the North Daeconese Air Force Boeing 777-376ER began its descent into Tuthina, Prime Minister Timothy Harris Jr honestly believed that the land (or country) he was visiting was from another time period. Since it was January, it was covered in a blanket of snow, but the buildings..... they seem ornate, classical, feudal, like god himself had frozen the country in time. The forests looked pristine, untouched, and the impression of a clean land. But, this land, as he read from the departure briefing, is occupied by the oldest monarchy in the world, the Most Serene Empire of Tuthina, which has ruled the 11,000 island chain for more than 3300 years.

As the plane landed, most visitors to Tuthina would had thought that the airport was just a small airstrip, or domestic airport. However, he was surprised to learn that the terminal buildings were in the hill itself, and the walls were decorated with the most intricate Tuthinan paintings, and the airport was pretty much a masterpiece of engineering by Western standards.

After the plane came to a complete stop on the tarmac, he disembarked the military passenger jet, accompanying him was the North Daeconese Delegation, and 4 North Daeconese Army guards, carrying Mongraf Corda 9mm pistols. At the end of the carpet, was Tuthinan officials, who greeted him with the words of "Welcome, to His Most Serene Majesty's Empire." in a very odd accented English tone. Harris knew that Tuthina had a high regard of respect to its officials, so he shook the hand of the official properly, and said "It's a honour to be here."

Afterwards, the delegation boarded the black limousine, complete with North Daeconese flags on the rear-view mirrors, and headed to the Imperial Retreat for the opening stages of the Second Esquarian Summit.

[National Socialist Korea]

Inkyan, Huangkuo*

Emperor of the Gateway from Esquarium to Huangkuo?

At least, that was what His Majesty thought about Himself and His own nation. He knew He was probably emphasizing on the importance of Taigan too much, but according to Him, it was only natural for a decently well-off nation to eventually become more active on the international political stage. Considering all factors, Taigan would effectively be Huangkuo's most ardent friend(s) yet in politics.

"Your Majesty," the Emperor's busty assistant bowed to Him, before continuing, "please remember to address Huangkuo as 'the Most Serene Empire', or, at the very least, 'Tuthina'. We don't want to confuse representatives of realms ruled by commoner mandate with Our terminology."

"Certainly. I shall keep that in mind. We ought to review their faces, nevertheless."

"There they are."

His Majesty imagined Himself to be the most silent participant in the Summit, mostly only listening to other delegations. Taigan, though having always voiced its opinions to the world beforehand, had never dipped its hands in international politics so much. Factoring in the Empire's constant liberalization, modernization, industrialization and militarization under the reigning Emperor, it was essential for Taigan to be an active member of politics with an influence on the political stage - however large or small.

He looked upon the files presented by the Secretary. He cared most about the self-styled "Presidents" of the so-called "Christian Republic of Luziyca" and "People's Republic of Namor": Breuvi Shjoraski - who came down as an insane opportunist and Western imperialist, and Fu Wen - winner of two commoner popularity contests, who continued to strive for Namor's eventual global conquest. Few foreigners were well-liked by the Taiganese (with the exception of the Tuthinans); thanks to two not-so-little incidents that resulted in bloodshed in both Taigan and Tuthina.

"Pray to Itanaki that everything will end well.", His Majesty murmured.

"Also, please don't bring up Our natural resources, Your Majesty.

We are approaching Huangk- I apologize, my Lord; the Most Serene Empire's Imperial Retreat. Please prepare Yourself."

Before the eyes of Tuthinan officials would be the only Individual in aristocratic garments other than the Tuthinans themselves. The gold-clad Man bowed to them with great respect.

"I, the Vermilion Emperor, Vang De of House Gan, have come to show my respect towards His Most Serene Majesty."

---

* Huangkuo: Taigan's alternative character reading for Tuthina's official domestic name, 皇國.

[Tuthina]

It was clear to the foreign dignitaries that their locations of arrival was, as promised before, already been cleared of "irrelevant individuals". While the enclosed terminal of the aerodrome appeared to be used by civilians and tourists alike in any other given day, today it was almost empty, with only the foreign guests, the welcoming officials and the guards in sight.

Even though some of the countries and their representatives were not exactly on friendly terms with the Empire or its way of governance, the officers maintain a friendly tone when greeting them. Even the decorated guards, who were most likely among the most zealous individuals under the Imperial banner, did not seem to mind the presence of supposedly "enemy individuals", instead maintaining an emotionless and focused expression: perhaps they simply did not recognise their gestures or identity, or their fierce loyalty was enough to overcome whatever internal urges they might have otherwise.

Despite the fact that they could pretty much roam the entire building without care, the route used to escort them from through the terminal building appeared to be something reserved for important individuals like them. All the walls were decorated by a wide collection of paintings and arts. Although the majority of them were in the characteristic Imperial art style, ones that would be more familiar to foreigners could also been seen, carefully placed and even crafted to create a surreal, yet harmonious image as they made their way outside the underground structure.

Although there was a high-speed railway that connected the aerodrome terminal to the avenue of the Summit, the majority of the foreigners seemed to prefer arriving on a limousine, and thus they were led to the car park located outside the surface entrance of the building. Upon their arrival, rows of black limousines, along with others there were brought by the guest themselves, had already been waiting. With a humble bow by chauffeurs, they were escorted into the luxurious and surprisingly cosmopolitan compartment. However, the exotic atmosphere returned as the vehicles started moving: instead of the usual humming of engines, the power source of the native cars was electric in nature, and thus was almost inaudible to even keen listeners.

As the caravan of limousines and escorts entered the road leading from Anegaha to Miyako of Sakan, the sight beyond the window once again assured that they were in a country not like anyone else. From the relatively calm and suburban Anegaha district to the blooming metropolis in the Mizuho region, every single building as far as eye could see was built in a style very similar to traditional Imperial architecture, although most likely augmented by modern material science and design to enable taller and sturdier buildings. Although passer-bys were suspiciously rare, they were, like the welcoming crew, dressed in one of the various traditional styles of the indigenous population, most characterised by the loose sleeves and low hemline of their T-shaped robes.

Along the way, several large billboards could be seen depicting some sort of propaganda posters or art. While it was hardly unique given the existence of several "revolutionary regimes" in the world, the style employed by the Empire was... more emphasised on subtlety. Perhaps to distance itself from their art style, most Imperial propaganda seem to rely on the same abstract and expressive art style used by their traditional paintings, or at least something that is definitely not considered realistic by most standards. In the same vein, many of them did not appear to depict the glorious triumph of the Empire over its antithesis, fictional or otherwise, but convey a rather solemn and fatalistic tone.

The lack of traffic and the existence of highways made the travel relatively brief and comfortable, as the convoy pulled from the road at an unmarked exit of the road. Moving through the paved road concealed by the increasingly thick vegetation, the dignitaries were soon greeted by the imagery on the other side of the woods.

Located on a gentle slope, the entire vicinity was covered by numerous kinds of flora of all size and shape, all of them carefully planted and maintained to sustain a healthy appearance. Rows of shrubs marked the edge of the road, while patches of trees could be seen further away, creating waves of greenery and occasion blossoms that surrounded the entire world. For trained botanists or simply observant ones, many of these plants were unlike ones native to the Home Islands, but instead originated from across the entire world. Despite the vast differences i n ecology and climate, all of them somehow managed to find a way to survive and thrive in this foreign land, some of them having seen transplanted into the Empire long before some of the countries were even born.

At last, the foreign guest made their way to the Imperial Retreat located at the middle of the impressive collection of flora. Like everything else they had seen since their arrival, the resort was decorated in accord to traditional Imperial aesthetics, giving the impression that it was something built long time ago. However, it was clear that the building was also diligently maintained by skilled hands, keeping it as clean and reliable as it was first built. True to its current function as the avenue of the Summit, the retreat was large and could comfortably house at least a hundred bickering people with utilities to spare. If the description of this building was correct, then all of these were created to the desire of a single individual: the Emperor of the Most Serene Empire. The fabled God-Emperor of All Humanity.

That said, it was probably a good thing that all foreign representatives were treated as his guest for the duration of the Summit, as every single one of them were greeted by well-dressed maidservants and escorted into the meeting hall of the building. It was a rather spacious room, with its ground being filled by a collection of mats made of straw, giving it a rather soft tactile sensation if one were to walk bare-feet on it. Unlike the hallway or the terminal, two of the walls were replaced by sliding door made of high quality wood and paper, while the remaining walls replaced by glass panels that offered an excellent view of the winter scenery outside. Even though it was still in the middle of winter, many of the trees outside could be seen blossoming in white, pink and red, seemingly planted deliberately to be seen from the premise as the focus of the panorama.

As they enter the Summit hall, they were first greeted by someone who must be at least a noblewoman. Her robe, although sharing the same T-shaped design with most natives they had seen, was clearly more well-crafted and elegant, as not only did it maintain the long and loose sleeves and hemline that characterised such traditional clothing, but it was also in an eye-catching dark red, adorned with various golden and silvery lines in the shapes of stylised flowers. The majority of her legs was covered by the low hemline of her clothes, and beneath it a pair of white socks could be seen, covering most of the exposed skin.

Her swords hoisted by her sash, one about two and a half feet long, and the other one a foot shorter, were graced with a similar level of attention and decoration as well, as they were laced with a myriad of expensive material, from the ubiquitous gold and silver lining, to exotic decorations made of a pearl-like substance, all arranged in a careful way to give it a glamorous appearance without making it philistine, instead turning it into an awe-inspiring piece of art.

"Welcome to the Summit. May peace be upon you, our honourable guest." The lady nodded to each dignitaries as they arrived, greeting them in the language of their country with a soft, yet solid voice. "I am the Regent of His Most Serene Majesty and His Empire. You may call me Rinka."

Behind her, though, another individual could be seen sitting on one of the chairs by the oval table. He was a young, mid-teenager boy, with a complexion slightly lighter complexion than the dominant race of the Empire, although not to the point it might suggest him being more similar to another race. Although younger and slightly shorter than an average young adult, he seemed to be quite healthy and toned. On the other hand, his skin was clearly well-cared and unworked, which, mixed with some faint application of cosmetics and powders, giving him quite a feminine appearance - to the point one might need to examine a lot more carefully to find out his sex if not for the fact the vast majority of the world knew his occupation and thus gender.

The clothes and garments on his body were obviously quite cumbersome. Although derived from the usual, traditional Imperial clothes, it appeared to to have multiple layers of them overlapping with each other, each decorated by their own set of accessories. The main garment, as the foreigners could see, consist of a black upper clothes and a bright red lower clothes, which was a mixture between trouser and dress due to it covering the entire lower body of the teenager. On it there was a myriad of decorations and symbols that few outside the Empire could memorise, let alone telling their nature and symbolism, although the white personal emblem of the Emperor against the black clothes could be seen easily.

On top of it there was a robe, even looser in order to cover all the garments beneath it without risking disturbing the carefully-dressed clothes. The robe lacked many decorations unlike the ones it covered, and appeared to be in a tone very similar to ochre, but with a very faint hint of red mixed within. It was said that this particular colour was extremely difficult to be dyed consistently due to the need to strike a balance between more than a dozen ingredients, ranging from the core of sappanwood, bark of an indigenous breed of poison ivy, to ash and even some breed of mold. As a result, it was said that only few dye houses were able to produce it in a consistent manner, and even then every robe of this colour was said to be unique due to the minute difference in method between the masters. The complex composition of the dye was said to resemble those used on banknotes to prevent counterfeiting, as it had a unique reflection of colour under sunlight that no other dye could imitate - which was apparently one of the most serious crimes in the Empire, and could result in mass execution if one was caught wearing clothes of the same colour.

Despite many languages used the word "crown" to refer to anything pertaining to monarchy, the Emperor, like his predecessors, did not have a crown or other headgear in his elaborate garments. Unlike many of his predecessor, though, his hair was not plaited or coiled into a bun, instead the long, black hair was allowed to flow softly from his head behind his body, ending at around the thighs.

While the noble lady was positioned between the doorway and the Emperor, she seemed not to be overly concerned by individuals approaching him, and the young Emperor appeared to be quite delighted to meet them as well, as he addressed them with his rather young voice. His language, though, was the literary language of the Empire, one that was said to be closely-related to the language spoken by ancient Namorese before there was a Namor to be of, making it rather difficult to understand even for someone who spoken contemporary Namorese. Fortunately for all parties, though, the polyglot regent also seem to serve as his translator. "His Most Serene Majesty expressed his gratitude to meet you in person. It is in His believe that despite whatever differences we might have, we, as the leaders of our respective polities, may achieve mutual understanding and, in the process, create a better future for all souls in the world."

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

Matteus Gunnlaugsson was very bored and tired from the long flight from Stórkostlegurborg to Miyako of Sakan. But alas, he definitely couldn't offend the Tuhtinian government (or any trading partner for that matter) given that they had a close trading relationship.

A very small plane descended into the Anegaha International Aerodrome. Gunnlaugsson then went into a chauffeured limousine. He hated limos, cars, and above all, being chauffeured and would've much preferred to use the rail system. Bet he simply looked out the window, enjoying the sights. Tuthina was beautiful. It looked quite a bit like home in Atlantica, but the Traditional architecture was impressive. Similar to Namor's, or Taigan's, or Fenhang Dao's, except that it was almost the only architecture in the capital. Anyways, the Limo stopped, and he went to the Imperial Retreat, which was also the convention centre. He bowed to both the Regent and the Emperor, as was traditional in Tuthina He spoke Namorese (so he could somewhat understand the Emperor), but he was glad that the regent functioned as a translator. He then entered the Imperial Retreat.

[Michillies]

-retconned-

[Kraq]

"What a backwards people." President Ahmed Hussein thought to himself as he lazily dumped a KIA (Kraqi Intelligence Agency) file on Tuthina on to the empty seat beside him. Never in Ahmed Hussein's life did he think he would meet a people more backwards that the radical Wahhabists and Salafi jihadists whom lead the "Caliphate", the Tuthinans proved him wrong. While the "Caliphate" to return to the dark ages and the Tuthinans live in the stone age. Despite his negative view of the Most Serene Empire of Tuthina, he was excited to visit one of a handful of nations still frozen in the past.

As the Kraqi Air Guard jet began to descend into Tuthina, Hussein slid into the window seat to his right and eagerly waited for Tuthina's famously unique architectural styled building to come into view. He became clued to the plane's window, like a child watching his or her's favourite tv show, he took in everything he could see from that tiny window high in the sky. When the jet landed in Anegaha International Aerodome several minutes later Hussein was left feeling disappointed that he wasn't able to see more of Tuthina. Dismissing his disappointment, Hussein gather up the Kraqi Delegation as well 4 members of the Republican Guard and prepared to leave the jet.

Once Hussein and the Kraqi Delegation climbed out the jet. The moment they did, the delegates were all taken aback by a gust of "cold" January winter wind. Coming from the southern hemisphere, in which the summer months was just taking hold, none of the delegates appeared ready for the sudden temperature change. Nevertheless the freezing Kraqi delegates made their way to Tuthinan officials.

"Welcome, to His Most Serene Majesty's Empire" said the Tuthinan officials, they spoke in perfect Arabic, with the precise syntax and diction that schoolteachers in the Irvadistan and Kraq constantly try and to achieve in their students. To any native speaker of Arabic, their Arabic was perfect, too perfect, almost to the point as artificial.

"Thank you for the gracious welcome my Tuthinan comrades." A throwback to his days in the Kraqi People's Army, "May Allah grant you all have long and industrious lives, God willing." Hussein finished.

Caught off guard by Hussein's response, the Tuthinan officials accompanied the Kraqi delegates to a black limousine, where subsequently the Kraqis clambered in the limousine before making their way to the Imperial Retreat.

[Geilinor]

Prime Minister Frederick Mainzer sat in a private jet reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. His term ended in about three months and he hoped to make some foreign policy progress in that time. Geilinor did not have particularly close relations with Tuthina but he hoped to build a trade relationship. He had never been to Tuthina and it seemed to be a beautiful country, but a potentially hostile one given the political differences between the two nations. He had political disagreements over Tuthina's system of government but could not let the Emperor and Regent know.

The plane soon landed in the Anegaha International Aerodrome and he got up to be escorted to a limousine. The traditional architecture reminded him of the Old Quarter in his hometown of Tiefwasser, but there was no other variety. The limo came to a stop and he entered the convention center. He bowed to the Regent and the Emperor and then took a seat with members of his security detail.

[Columbion]

In a late second decision President Huntleigh has decided that Ionland will indeed attend the Second Esquarian International Summit however, due to tensions with the Triumvirate and the host nation being aligned with the Triumvirate, he has decided to stay in Conghaile and as a replacement, Prime Minister Sebastian Martin will attend and represent Ionland. Early in the morning, Prime Minister Martin touch down in the Anegaha International Aerodrome. He saw the beautiful traditional structures all around, he had thought to himself, "I wonder what Ionland would have looked like if the 1917 revolution never took place." Alongside him was five accompanying SSC agents and his staff. Martin, extremely jet lagged, wanted to go to his hotel room and relax before he prepares himself for the Summit.

As Prime Minister Martin got to his hotel, he sat down and looked at the document written by President Huntleigh of topics to bring up, he looked down the list "NKOC support, Ianannua recognition, taming the Triumvirate, etc". Prime Minister Martin expected this with the recent international developments between his country and the Triumvirate. He cleaned up and began his final preparations before his escort would arrive. Martin was nervous but he was proud to be able to represent his nation in the world eye. He got in the limo, as he is driven through the streets he is completely enamoured by the surroundings of Tuthina. As he arrived at the Imperial Retreat, of the Imperial Botanical Garden. He took his final deep breath and stepped out and was escorted into the Summit. He saw many familar faces but felt out of place. He sat down and waited.....

[The Sanguinian Islands]

Sose, Yaa'ku Theocracy

The crowd of faithful Yaa'kuva followed the red robed High Priest Sherehumivaito up the yellow and red painted streets to the airport, crying with great sad, loudly, that the Celestial Representative will be leaving them, even for a short time. The High Priesthood was the only one of two things protecting them from the evil demons past the Saffron Wall, the other thing was the Wall itself, even though it was built in the 17th century, with good maintenance the wall could still keep out the wrath of the Borovets for a long while. Sose was a overcrowded city, divided by the wall between the rogue pariah state of Sanguinia and the prosperous but now rump state of the Yaa'kuva Theocracy. The City of Sose has been divided since 1949, when Xavier I threw away 2 million lives to destroy the Theocracy over 5 years. The peace treaty left the city divided by the Saffron Wall, with the Imperial Sanguinians getting 20% of the city, and the once vast Theocracy having half the islands in 1941, ended up with a few shrines and 80% of Sose. The nation was not even a real "Nation", just a city of 12 million ignored by another nation that barely is one. The only reason that the High Priest was going to the Summit, was that the Empire of Sanguinia was too caught up with petty issues to go to Tuithnia. He waved, tears in his eyes to the many faithful chasing after him, reassuring them that he will return to the heavenly throne.

Imperial Retreat, Tuithnia

The streets were not as boisterous as in Sose. The High Priest looked down at his red silk shoes with dismay. There were no crying masses to greet him. No large, shining temples. No small statues of himself littered through the city. In fact, it looked like a Sanguinian city. It reeked of slavery, and oppression, but he would just enjoy the fanciful things the Emperor of this land would have for him. Sherehumivaito breathed in, he was a lithe, feminine young man of 21, with pale white skin only interrupted by a small spot near his lips, bearing flowing long black hair and purple eyes, which were one of the Holy Anomalies that determined who would become the High Priest. He was wearing a red silk and lamellar steel robe, a long red hat a third his height, and he carried a yellow fan for purely cosmetic purposes. He walked a fair distance to the Retreat, looking very out of place in this area. On arrival, he opened the door and looked around, blinking rapidly, and politely placing himself next to the gathering that was about to happen. He seemed so confident back home, but now he was timid in the presence of more powerful people.

[West Cedarbrook]

President Feld huddled with External Affairs Secretary Kansky in his private office aboard Kramen 1. The two had been going over details of the agenda since the refueling stop, and were wrapping up their discussion as the plane descended toward Anegaha. "Above all, I want the delegation to understand there will be no discussion of the Ocelot crisis. This is very sensitive at home, and in no way can an offhand comment be seen as official policy. Do you have the DIO feed on the impoundment?" he asked.

"I have feed from the Defense Intelligence Organization" Kansky responded. "Not too sure about the bandwith in this venue. I'm depending on updates from our embassy as the situation progresses"

Feld looked concerned. Bad luck to have to declared the Ocelot junta a hostile regieme the day they took off for the summit, but it couldn't be delayed. "Okay then, we'll have to trust Davidoff's judgement in my absence. I need immediate notification if there are reprecussions against any Cedarbrookese, in Ocelot or elsewhere. Anyway, summarizing the top two items, we need to put emphasis on mutual recognition of software patents and copyrights. I'd like the conference to put this at the same priority as moving ahead with free trade. This is important to those guys out there", Feld motioned to the outer cabin, "especially Maurice. Zeller and his liberals are giving him a run for his money in Steinhouse this year, and the Libertarians smell blood. We can't be seen as single tracked for the banks."

"Mr. President, I doubt if Jeb can even text", Kansky shot back.

"Be it as it may, Vern, let's be sure to talk up intellectual property as much as possible. Without being pedantic, of course", replied the President.

"Of course" agreed Secretary Kansky.

Feld continued "I want to be agreeable on free trade too. Everybody here can get behind that. But we need to keep in view banking transparency, and secure clearinghouse mechanisms.
And, not to make too big a point of it, I'll be condemning currency manipulation and subsidies as part of my trade statement. Yes, details will be worked out elsewhere. But these need to be brought up as an important guideline"

Immediately outside the Presidential cabin, Steinhouse Mayor Oppenheim was busy reviewing messages on his tablet, responding to an update on council legislation from the Council President, and then closing the device and staring out the window.

Further behind, the four senators accompanying the President were gabbing away. As usual, Jim Asher was giving Jeb Zdunowsky the business, most of the comments sailing harmlessly over Zdunowsky's head. Jacob Sisson and Lorraine Lafarge were chatting away animatedly. "I wouldn't worry too much about it", Sisson reassured her. I don't think President Vang is your size, I haven't seen pictures of her in gray and red too much, and besides, I've heard these Tuthinians are fascinated by blondes. Just be your charming self. In any case, we're not likely to be in any high level meeting, or photo op".

Anegaha International Aerodome

The welcoming official looked up at the President, and extended a hand. "Tuthnia is most happy to extend greetings to President Feld", he announced. The President smiled down at him, and gave him a hearty handshake.

"On behalf of this delegation, and the people of West Cedarbrook, we are pleased to attend this historic event, and wish to thank His Majesty’s Most Serene Empire for your hospitality" the President answered, in his flat Galitzianer accented English. Kansky looked straight ahead. Behind him Oppenheim looked around, pleased to see the Michillian and North Daeconese planes. The four senators were several paces behind.

After exchanging pleasantries with the greeting official, the delegation was escorted by Tuthnian security to the two waiting limousines, Oppenheim traveling with the President and Secretary, the four Senators chatting away in the following vehicle. Zdunowsky, Sisson, and Lafarge gawked at the architecture of the ancient city. "I've only seen pictures of this" Lafarge said. "It's a lot prettier than I imagined. I hope we can get to see some of the city", she added as the entourage swept down a wide boulevard.

Inside the presidential limo, Kansky was updating the President on information about the major player's likely positions on free trade. Feld nodded occasionally, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

[Greonterp]

Prime Minister Lily Van Boelle was depressed as she looked out of her jet window. This was her last trip as a Prime Minister, and in the next week, she would be succeeded. But, she tried to keep her mind on other things.

As the plane lowered in elevation, she saw the landscape of Tuthina, and looked out of her window with awe. The nation looked remarkably similar to North Namor or Fenhang Dao, covered in a layer of snow, and dotted with pine trees. But, as she descended closer to the airport, she saw a unique country. The architecture made her feel as if she had stepped back in time, her thoughts about her job suddenly disappeared.

The plane jerked forward as it landed at the Anegaha International Airport, and her bodyguard offered to take her luggage.

"I can grab it, thank you", Van Boelle said humbly.

After walking through the airport to go outside, she realized that she had been daydreaming since she landed. Daydreaming about what could happen, and fretting nervously about meeting the President of Luziyca. She turned to her guard, and asked,

"Do you think that Breuvi will be mad at me?" No response.

As Van Boelle stepped outside towards a limousine, she felt a blast of cold, a cold she had never experienced in Greonterp. It was a dry, burning cold, not a humid, wet cold like one may feel in Greonterp. She opened the limo door quickly, and hopped in, and turned up the heat.

"Would you like a drink, Mrs. Van Boelle," asked the driver?

Van Boelle sighed and said, "Yes, but let's stop by a store for a harder liquor, shall we?"

"That may not be a wise thing to do before meeting the emperor," said the driver.

Van Boelle looked out of her car window for a second and replied, "Kasper, this is my last political meeting as Prime Minister, if I get tipsy, who gives a shit?"

[Ziegenhain]

The personal ship of Führer Ulrich docked into a specially reserved port in the nation of Tuthinia. It was two days before the summit would being and late in the evening, perfect for Ulrich to avoid any entanglements with locals. He was not particularly good in dealings with foreigners, no matter how friendly the governments were to each other. Ulrich was accompanied by his daughter, a sweet girl even if she could be unbearing at times and especially gifted with attractiveness and intelligence, a translator, and finally a 13 man squad for Ulrich's personal security detail. All of them were geared up in a full standard infantry loadout which included utility uniform, service rifle, main pack (includes extra clothing, rations, sleeping system, water proofing gear, tent, and other items that can fit leftover), flak (with magazine and drop pouch), kevlar, and canteens. They descended the stairs from the ship onto the dock where they were met by a simple group of Tuthinian nobles who greeted them in surprisingly clear German.

"Welcome to His Most Serene Majesty's Empire."

The welcomers gave a salute to the Ziegenian officials, of which Ulrich gave a small nod in response. Their methods of transportation, a limousine for Ulrich, his daughter, and translator, and a seven-ton troop transport truck for the security detail and their gear, were finally unloaded off of the ship. The Ziegenian delegates entered said vehicles and began their ride to the summit destination.

[Tuthina]

Seeing that all foreign dignitaries had arrived and seated accordingly, the noblewoman known as Rinka turned to the table and gave a small nod to the Emperor's guest again, before taking her seat at the side of the young monarch. Despite the popular conception of the Empire always seeing itself unique and above all other polities in the mortal realm - which was not entirely unfounded - all chairs within the chamber were of the same design, even the one seated by the so-called God Emperor of All Humanity.

"Now that the honoured guests of the Emperor have seated, it is in our belief that the Second Esquarian Summit shall commerce now if there are no objections." The lady spoke in articulated - if somewhat artificial as well - lingua franca of the world. While she, like everyone else, made use of the microphone placed before her, her voice was remarkably powerful, but not intrusively so. As part of the education for royalty and nobility in general, she had learnt to utilise her upper body to speak effectively, and in the voice and tone most suitable for any given situation.

"As stated by the proposed list of topics for us to discuss today, perhaps we can begin the Summit by discussing the idea of international environmentalism, such as reduction of pollution and solutions to contemporary climate change that might herald the beginning of a new geological age, if you may." The regent continued, while the Emperor simply sat and look at the other leaders of the world, seemingly curious. "His Most Serene Majesty's Empire, to revere the august nature that it calls home, has always struggled to maintain her pristine status, as it should be. However, as we all live in the same world, and the nature knows no political borders, it is in our belief that our work alone might not be enough to maintain the current environment."

"As such, we propose that perhaps an international organisation can be established to facilitate environmental efforts where they are needed. An example would be the regulation and limitation of fishing, especially in the open seas, where currently it seems only the law of the country where a particular ship is registered, or the whim of the captain applies. However, as marine animals know no mortal laws, and their entire community might be threatened by a single country with lenient fishing law, we believe it is of the interest of all countries to cooperate and enforce regulations based on sustainability - after all, it would not be in the interest of anyone if we can no longer have marine delicacies in the future."

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

"It would be desirable to strongly limit fishing, including a ban on whaling and restrictions on 'industrial fishing', as it both harms Fishers and Fish. Additionally, an international protocol to combat Climate Change is much needed, since that is very much a global phenomenon. A Convention on the protection of Biodiversity is also needed," PM Gunnlaugsson said calmly. He had never tried to hide the fact he was a passionate environmentalist, but a cold pragmatism insured he only came up with moderate demands.

[Luziyca]

President Breuvi Shjoraski listened intently to what Rinka was saying. Her bold and powerful voice seemed to have sucked him into a vortex full of Asians. Or at least, their culture. "When will she learn to lower her voice?" he thought. But soon, it was time for him to discuss the first topic at hand: the most stupid and idiotic thing that wound itself onto the table of a summit.

The environment. He heard the Atlanticans speak and boy, did it make his stomach turn. He angrily thought to himself "Why do you want to ban whaling and industrial fishing?" But soon, it was over, and quick.

Shjoraski was the second person in the room to speak: "The environment is quite wondrous. It is special in its own way: from the mountains which time has carved deep notches, to the calm Sprska Sea that provides water to millions of people in the region. It spans from the endless fields where farms and ranches exist to the desert where there is splendid isolation, with nothing to stop us." Shjoraski paused for a moment, looking around at his fellow colleagues and heads of state.

He said, "The environment, by all means, should be protected. However, this event is inevitable: so long as humanity continues to progress, we will need to endure global warming. One does not simply reduce emissions or impose sustainability requirements without having to regress technologically. While yes, we should invest in clean sources of energy, or implement an organization to facilitate the protection of the environment, the fact is that they cost a lot of money, for methods that do not generate electricity efficiently as the present methods like say, coal or oil, or to set up a useless agency of the OEN that will do practically nothing except, at best, be a bickering den."

Shjoraski remarked "I feel that we should not ban industrial fishing and whaling, for it generates a lot of money, that the nations can invest in programs to reduce overfishing, and maybe encourage the OEN to implement some restrictions."

He then sighed and continued, "However, I feel that the course is set: it is virtually impossible to halt global warming without having God somehow remake this planet, but I feel that we must try to do so. And the only way that we, as a region, could reduce the effects of global warming that is cap and trade."

He explains, "Essentially, a body, like say the OEN, or a bunch of regional unions sets a global emissions cap over a specified period of time, to a baseline, like say, 1990 or 2000. The participants will take on caps imposed by the body, and must reduce their emissions to below the cap. In return, the participants can receive allowances equal to their individual caps. Participants can choose either to meet their cap by reducing their own emissions; to reduce their emissions below their cap and, perhaps, sell the excess allowances; or to let their emissions remain above their cap, and buy allowances from other participants."

Shjoraski then states that "All that matters is that, when it comes to demonstrating compliance, every single participant holds allowances at least equal in number to its quantity of emissions. The result should then be that the total quantity of emissions will have been reduced to the sum of all the capped levels. Cap and trade is quite frankly, our only salvation for climate change that permits us to continue on the path of progress: it is either that, or we go back to living in caves."

[Pavonistade]

Considering how the summit kick-started with a discussion on fishing regulations, President Azurite's mind refreshed about the industry that Pavonistade had. The country was known for allowing licensed citizens to fish out a variety of marine animals, from cod to whale sharks, so long as there is good use of the fished animals. If a massive tsunami of fishing regulations indulged the attendees, then surely any countries that depend on fishing (or are well-known for it) would take a hit, and Azurite felt it was his duty to defend home industry and the industry of others.

"This summit is indeed raising much-needed awareness about the protection of marine animals," Azurite declared. "Many of these animals that frolic freely in the oceans may be subject to overfishing and overharvesting, and when we push too far, species will indefinitely disappear from the face of this planet and there is little hope of returning them to existence. We have to make sure we are doing the right thing for the oceanic lifeforms, and that right thing is to regulate the fishing industry.

"However, President Shjoraski has also raised a good point. There are many nations or groups of people that depend on gathering the fruits of the sea or are greatly affiliated to it, and if we put too many restrictions then we would harm the fishing industry as well as the livelihoods of many people across Esquarium. Limitations have to be reasonable, those that can effectively deal with overfishing while at the same time allowing people to fish without facing unnecessary prosecution."

[Greonterp]

Lily Van Boelle listened to the Atlantican speech and rolled her eyes. She then heard Luziyca's President discuss the issue, and agreed with him, which surprised Van Boelle.

"I'm inclined to agree with Breuvi here. And, as Breuvi and I both know, that's a rare occasion. Anyways, under my administration, the Greonlian government has implemented numerous pro-environment policies, including a carbon tax. Ergo, I am an environmentalist. However, bans on whaling and heavy restrictions on industrial fishing can harm national cultures and environments.

We need to find a balance between pro-market policies and environmentally conscious policies so we don't harm the economy. A region-wide environmental organization that creates various restrictions sounds nice, but I worry that it may infringe on national sovereignty. Some cultures may need to farm more, and some countries currently undergoing industrialization could be hurt by too many restrictions. It is very easy for the people who live in the developed world to talk about hefty restrictions, but the same restrictions could devastate nations that are developing. I'm fine with crucial environmental decisions being made by region wide groups, but most decisions should be left to the government of each individual nation."