1st Drago Entente Summit (IC, AEIA ONLY)

[Onza]

For Residents of Aeia Only.

FIRST DRAGO ENTENTE SUMMIT
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Seeking to expand the availability of information about the Drago Entente as well as convene a council of member-states to debate and decide on approaches to key issues facing the alliance, the 1st Drago Entente Summit is being held in the Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center in Kunta, Onza.

All nations which received an invitation are cordially invited to dispatch their respective defense ministers to attend the first portion of the conference, which will be an expo where speakers from Aquidneck, Newrey, and Onza will talk about the Drago Entente and its purpose. The second-half of this expo will feature a press conference where Entente officials will take questions from various media outlets. Nations should review the guidelines for registering press that was enclosed in their invitations.

Following the expo, member-states will meet in a closed, private session where they will discuss a wide variety of issues. The agenda of this meeting will not be immediately available to the public.

LOCATION

The magnificent Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center, named after President Noora el-Moussa of Onza, is among the most coveted of exhibition centers on the entire continent. Located in the heart of Kunta, Onza, its world-class lineup of facilities makes it the perfect venue for any professional event. The Exhibition Center includes several conference rooms that are all equipped with state-of-the-art technology to maximize productivity in meetings where every minute counts. The Center also features a number of press rooms available to appropriately accommodate media events of any size.

The Exhibition Center is staffed by renowned experts in the field of hospitality and tourism. Staff in the Center hail from nations all across the globe and are all versed in a multitude of languages and customs to accommodate guests of any background. In addition to hospitality experts, the catering service housed within the Center consists of a global team of famous culinary artists that are capable of producing dishes that are staples in every culture. The security staff is also professionally trained and is capable of handling events of any degree of importance and of any size. Even in situations where maximum security is required, these agents are trained to avoid interfering and inconveniencing guests to the fullest extent possible.

Attached to the Exhibition Center is the luxurious Burj Al-Kunta hotel. It features a wide variety of rooms to suit parts of all sizes as well as a veteran staff that is dedicated to maintaining a hospitable atmosphere. It is among the most coveted in the city and is frequented by politicians, foreign leaders, and celebrities.

The Center also boasts an advanced parking system that includes shades over your vehicles to prevent discomfort when returning to your vehicle during the hot Onzaian days. Parking is no cost to guests and is guaranteed to be hassle-free. Guests may choose to check in baggage at the front desk for storage if they are enduring a particularly long stay or if they are in possession of an item of value that they would like to have stored securely.

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ITINERARY

Arrival and Registration

Ministers and their respective entourages are asked to arrive no later than 10:00 AM the day of the expo. Staff will check in all guests and provide them with passes in respect to their status. Delegates are not required to bring their invitations. Lodging accommodations will be provided to delegates choosing to arrive the night prior to expo in the luxurious Burj Al-Kunta. The hotel has been cleared for the occasion.

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Expo One - Piracy is a Global Issue - Xolani Kojo, President of Onza

At 11:00 AM, the President of Onza, Mr. Xolani Kojo, will open the expo with some welcoming remarks and thanks to attending nations. Mr. Kojo will then deliver the first keynote of the morning. Mr. Kojo will explain the Anti-Piracy Task Forces of the Drago Entente as well as share some situations where the Arrabekhi Force specifically has thwarted piracy in the North Opal Sea off the coast of Onza.

Mr. Kojo will also take some time to emphasize the mission of the Drago Entente and the core principles on which it was founded.

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Expo Two - The Drago Entente's Economic and Political Benefits - Lino Minicozzi, Secretary-General of the Drago Entente

Expo Two will begin immediately following Expo One. The Aquidish Minister of Defense/Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Renata Panzera will introduce Mr. Lino Minicozzi, the Secretary-General of the Drago Entente. Mr. Minicozzi will highlight the economic and political focuses of the Drago Entente as well as highlight some existing examples of how these philosophies have translated into action.

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Expo Three - On the Wider Military Strategy of the Drago Entente - Sir William Blake, Supreme Commander of the Drago Entente

Expo Three will begin immediately following Expo Two. There will be a brief period following the conclusion of Expo Two for attendees to acquire refreshments or utilize any conference building facilities. Sir William Blake, the Supreme Commander of the Drago Entente and a Major General in the Newreyan military will host Expo Three. Commander Blake will highlight key components of the wider military strategy of the alliance as well as its operations and future plans.

In addition, Commander Blake will note some specific effects of some of the operations that the Drago Entente has conducted.

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Press Conference

At 4:00 PM, officials from the Drago Entente will host a press conference. Admitted press at this point may ask any questions they have about the Drago Entente or its operations. In addition, the OCNA and the Mayawi Messenger of Aquidneck will provide live coverage of the conference to citizens of all nations in attendance in an internet live stream.

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Council Meeting

Following the conclusion of the press conference, attendees may either return to their hotel rooms or embark on their return trip. Those who did not check in the night prior to the conference will have the opportunity to check into the hotel at this point should they choose to do so. Only member-states and observer states of the Drago Entente will be permitted to attend the council meeting which will take place the next day at 8:00 AM.

OOC: For role playing purposes, here is the tentative list of what the Drago Entente will discuss. Note that this information is only available IC to nations who are members of the Drago Entente.

• International waters and where national boundaries stop in maritime situations
• Military standardization, particularly in pertinence to equipment used among member militaries
• Expanding membership and potentially recruiting more observer states
• Potential escalation in activities the alliance takes part in (tentative ideas include friendship and joint partnership agreements)
• Joint military bases
• Saraibia
• Intelligence sharing among member nations
• Potential joint representation in the Asuran Council
• Alliance mission statement

[Onza]

An entourage of politicians in Onza is perhaps the only group of animals less desirable to the populace than a family of roaches, and roaches are universally considered the worst thing in Onza. It is therefore no surprise that the lock down of Kunta International Airport at the behest of the President of Onza, Xolani Kojo, his Minister of Defense, Ruh El-Mofty, the standard group of agents, and a small gaggle of aides and assistants elicited much ire and outrage from travelers delayed as a result of the move. Nonetheless, the group disembarked the jet from Al-Khatin Island and navigated through the airport, taking care to embark only on the most discreet of routes and simultaneously giving a master class on how to avoid eye contact with voters. In spite of their efforts, irate citizens insisted on sighing loudly and dramatically as the group passed.

An audible, collective sigh of relief came from the group as they finally exited the airport and loaded into the glossy black limousine that awaited them.

"Can someone explain to me why we insist on black being the formal color in this godforsaken heat? I mean, white tuxedos are classy enough, right?" asked the President. "Yeah, for art shows," said the Minister of Defense, "and besides, white people can't pull off white tuxedos. It just doesn't compliment their complexion. Why do you think their designers always add a black trim to the jacket?" he asked. "And most of the world leaders are decisively white," observed the President. "Exactly." The response, although humorous, appeared to satisfy the President's curiosity, as the next three-quarters of the 35 minute drive were spent in relative silence.

"If only someone would have versed the Torrosoan delegation on international waters prior to the meeting, we could have been back in Kunta hours sooner," the President remarked some ways into the trip, breaking the de facto policy of silence that had been established insofar. "Sometimes I wonder if they could even point to the Strait on the map."

"You would say such a thing?" an aide asked rhetorically. "Of course, I just did. Just never to their face, though," the President responded.

"Right. If you did, though, the Liberals would eat it up as 'hard-ball diplomacy,'" said the aide, leading to a mixture of chuckles and groans from the entourage in the limousine.

At this point, the limousine came to a stop, and the back door was opened by a valet. The party disembarked one by one, each squinting upon exiting the vehicle to adjust to the unforgiving crepuscular waves that beamed beyond the Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center. "Oh, what the hell," Kojo said as if to suggest capitulation. He returned briefly to the back seat of the limousine and searched around before producing a pair of aviator sunglasses and putting them on. "Are those-" "Siena del Naro? Yes, believe it or not I'm fond of the Aquidish designer," Kojo interrupted. "I was going to say 'sunglasses,'" the interrupted aide noted. "Oh. Well, yes," the President replied, opening his hands as if it question if something was wrong.

The group moved towards the entrance of the Center rather quickly, failing to resist the temptation to complain about the heat. "I tried to tell them to host the damn thing somewhere else, but they were persistent," said Kojo. Upon entering the Center, there was a notable shift in attitude and demeanor among the members of the delegation; specifically, the tendency to be sarcastic and critical was seemingly shed.

The President checked in and broke off with a small group of aides to head towards the Kalahari Room - the room where he would be giving the first keynote address.

[Aquidneck]

The Aquidish delegation did not want to make a big show of things and decided to fly a standard Aquidish government plane to Kunta rather than the Prime Minister's plane. He had offered it to His Deputy and coalition partner as a show of good faith, but she politely declined. Renata Panzera thought that as Defense Minister she should fly in one of the planes used for cabinet officials and not the slightly larger plane the Prime Minister uses. Things have been going well so far, in Torden it seems that the coalition government is off to a good start and are working together well. Internationally things have started to calm down, and now this summit is being held. Renata smiled to herself as the plane came to a stop on the runway. This was her first time in Onza and she wanted to leave a good impression on Aquidneck's newest ally.

The first thing she noticed as she got off the plane was how hot it was. Renata looked to one of her aides, "Oh my it is hot here. Next time the Onzaians think we should host this somewhere else, lets take that advice." The party quickly got into the waiting car and signed in relief in the air conditioned vehicle.

It was a couple minutes before anyone spoke as the car drove to the convention center. "Did you bring the gifts with you?" Renata asked her aide. "Yes mam, a special selection of accessories from Siena Del Naro's newest collection has been wrapped for the VIPs of our ally's delegations."

"Very good. We can present those before the Council meeting tomorrow. I think this is going to go well." The car stopped at the center. "Alright here we go. Everyone on their best behavior." Renata and the delegation got out and made their way to the center quickly due to the heat. After checking in the group made their way to the section that the first speech would be given.

[Vrnallia]

The higher you go, the colder it gets. Unfortunately for the Vrnallians, their plane was going lower, descending towards Onza. For most of the passengers, including Vrnallia's Minister of Security Jatkhulucicha Ljedi, this was their first time venturing so far south. The sort of heat that here was ordinary in Vrnallia would be truly unthinkable. Even in the middle of the summer it was typically brisk and windy. And so, as he stepped off the plane onto the searing tarmac, Ljedi cursed under his breath.

"Ich luj, it's hot."

"Aye, sir," his aide replied with a nod.

The group entered their car, which was fortuitously air-conditioned. Ljedi's aide, Sejhan Khata, wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to speak to Ljedi.

"So, sir, these expos. Do they even matter to us? When was the last time our Coast Guard intercepted pirates, and why should we of all countries care about military policy?"

Ljedi sighed. Why did his Ministry saddle him with so green an aide?

"Khata, you know full well the importance of military strategy in this world. That we might not contribute to that in the same way does not undermine its importance to us. Piracy may not concern us, nor even the anti-piracy task force, but we must be aware of the efforts of our allies in the Entente regardless.

"That is to say nothing of the non-military aspects of this alliance, nor anything of the fact that, as a former officer of the Coast Guard, I find the subject matter interesting. Does that answer your question?"

"Aye, sir," the aide replied meekly.

Ljedi did not look forward to answering the same questions at the conference later.

[Vvarden]

The air was warm, but surprisingly refreshing, like a summer that was streaking into autumn, as the silver limo sporting miniature Vvardeni flags on its bonnet turned a corner, entering the driveway of the Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center. Out came, to a cordial reception, the Vvardeni Speaker for Defence, and he quickly entered the building along with most of his delegation, various aides and diplomats.

For many years Vvarden had gone alone, and the slight possibility of even joining an alliance between nations had to be approached with caution. This was a new nation taking its first steps into the world, and who else to send but Vvarden's calm, shrewd, and charismatic defence minister, Ashahul Zama-Rasour Assarrapanat. He made his entrance with a smile, making sure that his clothes, the perfect blend of his ancestral Vokun traditionalism combined with modern Vvardeni fashions, were well received by the audience. After all, a country is judged by the status and looks of its civilians, especially at important conferences which the Senate has an interest in. That isn't to say Ashahul Assarrapanat was displaying wealth, rather he was displaying Vvarden itself, and its hopes and dreams,as well as using various techniques to make sure he wouldn't die of overheating in this desert climate. He exchanged a few glances with some other leaders, stretching out his hand and exchanging greetings to a few delegates from other countries, before he decided he was not just here for a few handshakes, and he moved further inside, to the very heart of the exhibition, the very reason he was sent here in the first place.

"Let's see what's in here." Ashahul said with a refreshing and comfortable smile, before the doors opened and he walked inside, eager to start and conclude diplomacy. After all, no harm is done from a little talking.

[Azuredh]

The difference between the refreshed air inside the Jet plane and the scorching heat that awaited them on arrival was almost palpable. Duke Hultz, who was asked by the premier himself to attend the meeting, thought about his homeland in the mountains with nostalgia.
- I'm becoming too old for such things - he said.
- One more mission like this, and our beloved majesty will find my letter of resignation on his desk. -
Bors Venal, the young ond promising military attachè, replied laughing:
- I've already heard this five times in the last two years, and I'm sure I'll continue to... -
- Duke Hultz, Sir - a valet interrupted - your limousine is ready to go. -
- Well, let's roll then - the Duke replied.

During the trip to the Center, the group remained silent. The Duke recalled the last discussion he had with the Premier.
' This is a great occasion for our nation to gain both international recognition, and economical benefits. Since the end of our civil war we remained diplomatically isolated from the rest of the world, and the only reason our most powerful neigbours haven't attacked us was the fear of international repercussion if they become too strong too quickly. But this can't last long. We need more friends if we want to survive as a nation, and there have already been informal discussion about joining this Dragon pact. I want you to go there and see if they are serious enough to be trusted.'
- This should not be too much complicated - the duke said while entering the uncrowded hall. The delegation took seat. - Let's see how things turn out -.

[Midrasia]

The first Midrasian diplomats arrived in the darkness of the night before the expo, when the weather was much cooler than the excesses of the day.
Parliament had selected to send a cross-party delegation to the meeting; what with the upcoming election and the government ultimately losing the support of the Liberals and thus its majority. Things in Midrasia were uncertain for sure, but nevertheless attendance at the Entente's summit remained high on the list of any future Prime Minister's priorities. The country's controlling position in central Asura and its renowned military forces would make it a fine asset to the like minded nations of the Entente, ultimately shoring up the alliance's Asuran strategy in perpetuity. The alliance's representatives would be sure to woo any Midrasian delegation, regardless of the party affiliation. Nevertheless, there was always one caveat to Midrasia's international relations; the nation's sense of self-worth and independence. The philosophies of Francois Capet, Midrasia's controversial Prime Minister of 1937-1951 still weighed heavy on the nation, effectively guiding its every move. As such, any agreement for potential membership of the alliance would likely we wrought with caveats and exceptions. Despite this, the alliance still interested a number of figures on the Midrasian political scene. Many saw it as a natural extension of the military arm of Asura, currently only united by the economic community, whilst others saw it as necessary for warding off the intrusive influence of Ternca, Rohst and Torroso. However, many more still criticised the organisation, most notably the inclusion of Newrey, a nation which raised all too many problems for the more left-leaning factions in the nation. How could any alliance, professing the values of freedom and democracy have at its a core a nation with such bitter hatred for those of a different sexual orientation? Perhaps swallowing this bitter pill was a necessary evil? Or maybe Midrasia could use its diplomatic weight to ease the situation somewhat? Nevertheless, no decision would be made before the election and it would be best to hear the Entente out before any commitment.

The delegation had been kept small for the most part, boasting only three members. At the head of the delegation was Adrien Alphonse, the government Minister of Defence. Begrudgingly, with the loss of the PSD's majority, Mr Alphonse was forced to bring along Marine Tyre the shadow foreign secretary representing the UDA and Bernada Barri, the deputy leader of the Liberal League. Whilst a number of other representatives, most notably a number of Midrasia First MPs had campaigned to tag along, it had been decided that only the three major parties would be represented. Besides, bringing a party with open sympathies for Torroso and Tarasanovia to the event was probably a very bad idea.

The journey to the hotel for the night had been done in complete silence. The three delegates obviously had little in common, and their views on the upcoming summit were likely to reflect this.
Nevertheless, when the Summit was scheduled to begin the following day, all three members were up bright and early to assess the day's events.

[Pan-Slavic Nations]

While the two Tyronovian officials were prepared for the heat of Onza by their experience with the warm northern beaches of Tyronova, they were unwelcomely surprised by the harsh , arid atmosphere, which seemed to suck the water right out of them. In front was foreign minister Jaacob Lawrenz, whose eyes narrowed to tiny slits in the bright midday sun. Reluctantly stepping out of the plane was defence minister Benedikt Greil, looking uncomfortable as ever with his eyes darting back and forth between their ride to the Exhibition Center and the main airport building itself, occasionally glancing back at the plane they had arrived in longingly.

"Phew, I expected the heat, but not... this" chuckled Lawrenz as they boarded the car.
Greil jumped in, embracing the cool interior of their ride and chugging down the complimentary ice cold pinã colada.
"Yeah, damn. Thank goodness we'll be spending most of the time indoors, right?" Greil replied, setting the glass down in its cupholder.

The ride continued with both men commenting on the beautiful architecture that passed by the windows. When they finally reached the Exhibition Center's neighbouring Burj Al-Kunta hotel, the shaded carpark was regarded as a tremendous boon in the sweltering heat of day.

"A blessing and a curse" muttered Greil, "it'll be much warmer at night."

Once they checked in and unpacked their luggage, it was time to make for the Center. Noting that a few of the other delegates had already taken their seats in the hall, they made their way through the corridors guided by one of the beautiful ushers, hurriedly meeting and greeting some of the other nations' ministers along the way. With little time for conversation, they made haste towards the hall, not intending to be any less early.

"I know what our people want, and you know what our people want" Lawrenz turned to look Greil in the eye. Greil nodded, "What we want is what Tyronova wants, that is..."

And so the two Tyronovian ministers stepped calmly through the open hall doors.

[Aquidneck]

Secretary-General Lino Minicozzi and his staff greeted delegations as the entered the conference hall and registered with the summit. He and his people made sure that everyone who needed translating equipment got it and that the accommodations that had been set up were still adequate. Some delegations were arriving with more aides and underlings that previously announced so some switching in rooms were being made on the fly. Luckily the hotel the summit was using was large enough to fit everyone comfortably.

This summit was designed to show the rest of Aeia what the Drago Entente was doing. It aimed to be a a recruitment tool, though not every nation that comes would be eligible to join, hopefully they would all get some benefit out of it. After all every nation has an interest in seeing international shipping lanes remain safe, nations would also be interested in the products of the member state's defense industries and possibly negotiating a deal to trade with the Entente bloc in a more efficient and less expensive way.

The spread of nations that have shown up so far and who have said they are coming is good. It was not often that nations from all over Aeia got together. There would probably be many side conversations happening in the halls of the convention center. It is as good a time as any to get a face to face with another nation's defense minister or other high ranking government official. As the delegations started to trickle in slower, Minicozzi detached himself from his staff and went to go prepare for his part of the Expo. Soon he would make his way to where the first speaker was presenting. After all he is the public face of the Entente now and has to be present for all the speeches. After that he would be chairing the first meeting of the Drago Entente Council. The list of topics up for discussion is quite long, but all equally important to the members. Hopefully some good things will come of this.

[Crylante]

It had taken much debating within the Crylantian government's Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on whether to send delegation to the summit, but after much debating, it had been concluded that it would be beneficial for trade to invest in the conference. It would also help with piracy; piracy was known to affect Crylantian trade routes, and thus the department had concluded that it would be beneficial to do so. Protection of the Vanir Islands would also be an issue that it was concerned about; piracy was a threat to the security of the islands.

Thus, Crylante was sending two chief delegates to the conference. The first was Mylène De Raya, a young Green Party politician who had been chosen by Jenný Anadottir to be one of the co-heads of the Federal Ministry of Trade. She had never travelled to Arabekh before, it was going to be an experience for her. The second was Elowen Schmidt, the Vaniric Minister for Justice and Security. She had served as a minister for almost 15 years, and had travelled to many countries during her time, as a representative for the Vaniric interest.

Kunta Airport

Mylène De Raya stepped off of the CrylantAir plane as it arrived in Kunta, and walked to the arrivals section to collect her bags. She only had one to collect, however, so she could quickly go to passports and get through to the airport proper. She met Elowen Schmidt drinking a hot chocolate in a café. Given how hot it was when she had walked through to arrivals, she thought that the hot chocolate the Vaniric woman was drinking was around as hot as the temperature in Onza itself.

The two of them walked towards the exit of the airport, where a limosine was found that could take them to the hotel. The drive was rather short, which was good for Mylène, as it was extremely hot within the car, way hotter than she was used to in her home town of Nebligen, Crylante. When they arrived at the hotel, they went to their room, a two-floor room overlooking the cityscape of Kunta, unpacked their bags, and went to the conference.

[Newrey]

Due to already being a founding member of the Drago Entente, the Witenagemot of Newrey felt no need to send any governmental or royal representative, instead using William Blake as their mouthpiece. Blake had been an ideal candidate due to having written a number of books on anti-piracy and COIN operations, his selection as Supreme Commander allowed for the Entente to excel in its Task Forces. He also visited a number of foreign militaries during his tenure as First Officer of the Witenagemot, strengthening international bonds with his charisma. He was also infinitely more liberal in social matters than many of his colleagues and counterparts in the Newreyan Military and society as a whole, so his beliefs were hoped to soothe any misgivings potential Entente members might have about the treatment of individuals who deviated from the accepted norm.

He had arrived in Onza several days prior to the actual expo, taking the time to visit the city and take part in some sightseeing while also trying to learn cultural customs of people in Onza. After all, if he was to work with these people for the next two years, it wouldn't hurt to know a little about them. Typical barebones, almost Spartan-like, travel of the Newreyans meant that he didn't take a personal car to the expo, instead opting to simply walk there in his warm weather uniform, something he was thankful for.

Arriving at the door prior to the arrival of many delegates, he greeted them with a smile, handshake and polite small talk.

[Volgaria]

Emperor Konstant von Muerl, 10 Armed guards and the Dukes of Diafeld and Aftenburg, all stepped out of the Private Jet. They were greeted by the intensely hot weather of Onza. The party of 13 entered a limousine and departed for the Hotel, the only conversation during the ride was on the topic of the extreme heat. When they arrived at the hotel, the party unpacked their baggage and headed towards their respective rooms.

After a nights rest the Emperor and Dukes made ready for the summit later on in the day. Confident that the summit would go well they got back into their limousine and headed to the summit.

[Gemma]

It was unusual for the insignificant Republic of Gemma to receive an invitation to an event significant as this summit. In most geopolitical calculations, the algebra omitted the variable of the Gemman national interest, for the simple reason that s it was absolutely negligible to the results of the equation. That is why the invitation came to President Pierre Adebiyi's desk only an urgent half-hour after it was received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For his part, Adebiyi welcomed the gracious invitation. As president, he was constitutionally limited in his powers, and as head of state of a professedly-neutral country, he was traditionally limited in warming or cooling relations with other nations. Nevertheless, there was no political harm in attending beyond a few more critical remarks from the opposition. Attending, in fact, could bring great practical benefit to Gemma. While the republic did not officially recognize any particular nations as trading partners, its trade was still dominated by one of its former colonial overlords, Midrasia, and various private firms headquartered there. If Gemma could diversify its business contacts, it could weaken the still-considerable grip Midrasia held on the country, not to mention lower prices for the many consumer goods that Gemmans sought from abroad. It was unlikely, however, that these multinationals, Midrasian or not, were willing to give up their comfortable monopoly on Gemman mineral exports. Any trade agreement with this Entente, Adebiyi concluded after a few minutes of thought, would have to avoid this very sensitive (yet profitable) area, lest he risk agitating his party's largest donors.

There was always the defense aspect of this alliance as well, but he dismissed the thought rather quickly. He was not a military man, nor was his country militarized. His generation came of age after a childhood underneath a repressive military junta. They despised the nation's army, and much preferred to leave it small, underfunded, and unorganized rather than let it stamp out the torch of liberty once more, as one of his predecessors so eloquently put it. He saw Gemma as having no benefit to this Entente defensively, nor this Entente to Gemma. As a former businessman, he was far more concerned with its potential for profit than its potential for peace. In any case, President Pierre Adebiyi flew the next morning on a private jet to Kunta with his personal Newreyan translator- his wife- and a handful of aides and bodyguards.

He knew not to expect the same formalities a state visit would afford him- this summit was for ministers, after all- and honestly, he preferred the privacy to the pomp and circumstance. The heat he hardly noticed, though it was considerably less oppressive than the combination of the same heat and the dreadful humidity that plagued his homeland. The day before the conference, while his aides scurried about preparing briefs and attaining schedules and itineraries and anything else required out of the brochure, the president and his wife enjoyed a day off in Kunta, touring the beautiful hotel and Onzaian capital. Adebiyi was well refreshed for the following morning and the start of the exposition.

[Pan-Slavic Nations]

The CPSN foreign minister, Coshnity Verjishimov, set off for Kolosta two days before the start of the summit to meet the other CEMP delegates. Taking a private helicopter to the Terncan city, Verjishimov gazed upon one of the largest cities in Aeia from the air. Of course, Verjishimov arrived early as usual, spending the first few hours admiring the Terncan city's bustling atmosphere alongside Ternca's foreign minister. Once the other CEMP delegates had arrived, the group set off for Kunta, Onza. Arriving in the evening, the delegates found their hotel rooms and unpacked their belongings, spending a few hours discussing and going over the CEMP's collective interests. Once everyone had agreed on a general plan for the summit, they went to bed.

Verjishimov woke up later than usual, but still on time for the morning group meet with the other CEMP delegates. Deciding to make his way to the center first thing after breakfast, Verjishimov relaxed in a chair near to the entrance and ordered up a coffee. Maintaining a friendly composure he greeted one or two delegates before seeing Newrey's William Blake arrive at the door, after which Verjishimov, keeping in mind Newrey's rash response to his offer of humanitarian aid to Jokha, decided it was best to avoid the Newreyan Supreme Commander altogether, lest bitter memories of the Jokhan War's heavy civilian casualties cause the CPSN foreign minister to drop his otherwise professional outlook. By the time more delegates began to streak in, Verjishimov was waiting by the still-closed doors of the exhibition hall. Seeing the Aquid officials approaching, he saw the perfect opportunity to strike up a passive-aggressive conversation on the ethics of unwanted intervention with Aquidneck's Minicozzi. They all chatted heartily while waiting for the summit to start.

The other CEMP delegates arrived just on time and with the doors opening, Verjishimov proudly followed them inside, hoping for the other nations' understanding and cooperation in the talks ahead.

[Malban]

President Yatjal and High General Mretti left for Kolosta, Ternca today to meet up with the rest of the CEMP delegation to the Drago Entente Summit. Shortly after arriving and exchanging greetings, the group boarded their plane for Kunta.
Upon arriving, the group quickly made their way to the awaiting cars in an attempt to escape the heat.

[Onza]

Morning addresses to large groups of people was a part of the President's daily routine. Every day saw another crowd gathered outside the Ivory Tower in the Sunflower Garden expecting an update from the President himself. Given that these were daily events for him, Xolani Kojo expected to be bolstered by confidence upon assuming the podium. However, he found himself feeling nervous for the first time in ages of public speaking, and the cause of this emotion he could not quite pinpoint. For one, daily press briefings generally take place at 11:45 rather than 11:00 - was the difference enough to cause a bit of circadian jet lag? Or perhaps it was the more obvious - and sensible - explanation that the immense pressure of being the first Onzaian in the nation's history to address the world created the emotions that stirred within him. Nonetheless, Kojo was a skilled speaker, one who is trained to disguise emotions that would not behoove the speech's purpose. He adjusted the mics a bit in front of him and glanced around. Flanked by two teleprompters on stage and guards at the base of it, he felt secure in his place as the opening speaker. After all, with so many resources at hand, what could go wrong?

"It is my distinct honor to have the privilege of welcoming the esteemed representatives from several of the world's nations to the Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center, to Kunta, and to the United Democratic Emirates of Onza. The expo that is about to take place is no doubt of international significance,
and a momentous step in the common goal that unites us all: global peace. But I also want to note the significance that this conference bears to the UDE. For the first time in this nation's history, we have opened the doors to working cooperatively with the nations of the world in pursuit of this common goal. I thank each of you today, and particularly our fellow members of the Drago Entente, for allowing us to have this marvelous opportunity. Thank you all for being here, and I hope you learn a lot and enjoy yourselves.

Without further ado, I will now take some time to highlight one of the most revolutionary portions of the Drago Entente: our Anti-Piracy Task Forces. The Entente currently maintains two of these task forces: The Green Ocean Task Force, which as the name suggests, is based in the Green Ocean, and the Arabekhi Task Force, which works in the waters around Onza all the way to the Asur. Both of these Task Forces have, insofar, made great strides in their efforts to reduce piracy in these regions. I would like to take a moment to highlight the Arabekhi incarnation in particular, given that it is the one that Onza is most familiar with.

I don't need to make the case for investing in the prevention of piracy. Piracy is a crime that is very simple to prevent, but the key is ensuring that there is an effort in place to prevent it at all. You see, we've learned here in the Emirates that regardless of a coast guard and regardless of a navy, maritime privacy thrives whenever there is not a specific force to address it. When I was contemplating the invitation to join the Entente, I wasn't so sure that a force devoted specifically to thwarting piracy would be effective. In retrospect, however, I'm beyond grateful that I gave it a chance.

You see, in the short time that the Task Force here in Arabekh has existed, 14 Onzaian merchant vessels have been saved from piracy attacks. Collectively, those vessels were transporting millions of dollars of Onzaian goods to other nations that would have been stolen were it not for the Task Force. Not all of these incidences were in the form of a clash between the Task Force and pirate vessels, however. We've observed situations where pirates begin cruising towards a ship only to spot a vessel from the Task Force and flee. Our hope is that over time, piracy will be reduced to negligible amounts, with only the smallest ships in the most remote of waters being attacked if anything, and we're seeing rapid progress towards that end.

Currently, some of the most important waters to reach other nations are infested with pirates. The more participation that these Task Forces see over time, the more and more we will be able to stamp out piracy and save the global economy billions of dollars. I don't need to stress the importance of trade, but what's unfortunate is that even the most basic of trade routes are now not safe for merchant vessels that should be able to do their jobs without fear of being robbed or even killed as it is in some cases.

These Task Forces are coalition-style. Participants contribute ships to the Task Force which then are assigned patrol routes and other directives. Overall, the Emirates can testify to the efficacy of the Arabekhi Force. Maritime piracy is an issue that affects us all, but through joint cooperation in the Entente, this is something that can be eradicated. Of course, we will have room in the press conference following the series of expos for any questions about these Task Forces. I invite all of the representatives in attendance today to take advantage of the concierge service of the Burj Al-Kunta Hotel and enjoy the sights and entertainment that the wonderful city of Kunta has to offer. Rest assured, the heat is more bearable by night.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen. At this time, please join me in welcoming the wonderful Aquidish Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Renata Panzera to the podium.

[Navack]

It was the beginning of a cold night over the Reginlief International Airport, where three represents of the Navish government would board to Onza, for the 1st Drago Entent Summit. The General Council of the Chamber of Foreign Affairs of Navack, Anna Koldrïc, a 35 years old lady elected by the Navish Liberal Party, The Minister of Foreign Relations, Magnus Ralfhëing and the Chief of the International Commerce Relations, J.J. Marinnet, both represents of the Navish Green Party, were the chosen to represent the nation on the summit. The hangar where the little NAVAIR airplane was wet due the rain and the wind was blowing cold and strong.

The way to Kunta was long, but they had a lot to talk on the airplane. They spent 3/4 of the trip discussing their plans and ideas about what to do when the expos start. The plan was to arrive on the Kunta's Airport by 12 P.M. on the day before the Summit. Their schedule was saying that they would arrive on the Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center and Hotel to relax an prepare themselves for the start at 10 A.M. on the next day.

Noora el-Moussa Exhibition Center

It was hot. The wheater in Onza wasn't pleased by the Navish, but tha's what happen when you are born and raised in a place where 20 Celsius degrees is considered hot. Anna was a traveler since she was a child in Høulding, so she left her companies at the Hotel and get out to know better the city of Kunta, a new place for her to know. As the day passed, they got prepared for the start on the next day.

[Aquidneck]

Renata Panzera was the next to speak in her role as Defense Minister of Aquidneck. She stood up and walked up to the podium. “I will be brief so that Secretary-General Minicozzi has the time he needs to make his speech. I just wanted to say how committed Aquidneck is to this alliance. The Aquidish people are proud to host the alliance in the city of Perino We look forward to working with our long time allies from the Kingdom of Newrey and our newer allies from the United Democratic Emirates of Onza and the United States of Vrnallia. I also want to thank our Onzaian friends for hosting us in this beautiful city. Now, please join me in welcoming the Secretary-General of the Drago Entente, Lino Minicozzi.”

Ranata moved away from the podium as Lino walked over. They shook hands and smiles briefly for the cameras. Renata went to sit down as Lino began his speech. “Thank you, Renata. Friends and allies, I welcome you to Kunta for the first ever Drago Entente Expo. The Entente is more than just a mutual defense alliance and I want to highlight some of the economic and political benefits our member states have because they have joined. Upon signing the Cyningburgh Pact and becoming a full member, nations get all the benefits of including the international police cooperation portion of our alliance. This sections sets the legal standards for extradition of wanted persons between member nations, allows members to serve warrants on each other’s behalf, and allows nations to request that a person of interest be detained by another nation’s police force. This system allows for member states to not worry about criminals taking advantage of the ease of movement clauses of the pact.

The ease of movement clauses aid in increasing economic and cultural ties between member states by making movement of people and trade among them easier. Trade between member nations is done with significantly shorter wait times and scrutiny, member states are given priority in other member states. Tariffs on goods coming from member states are nonexistent and those savings aid our economies and our people greatly. The Pact also set up a visa system exclusively for citizens of member states. No visa is needed for ninety days to visit any member nation. Citizens are free to engage in tourism, commerce, and educational experiences during this ninety days. This does not allow people to work freely in the other nations, but there is a special visa process for Entente citizens to get work visas in other member states. This process is more efficient and given special priority over others. This special visa system allows for citizens of member states to get to know each other through educational and cultural links. Tourism is an important part of many economies and these provisions will play a part when citizens consider where to spend their vacation time.

The Entente also encourages learning by creating links between member states universities and researchers through exchange programs and special education visas. This will allow Entente businesses and governments to be on the cutting edge of scientific research and technology. Education exchanges are also a great way to immerse Entente citizens in each other’s cultures. Already universities in the member states are working together on projects and research to better the lives of millions of people.

The Entente is looking into ways to expand the alliance in other ways such as public health, environmental considerations, and cultural projects. These topics will be discussed among member states in the upcoming Council meeting.

The Entente hopes to expand these cultural, educational, and political ties between our members in order to work together in our common goal of a safe, secure, and peaceful Aeia. Thank you all for coming the next expo will start after a short break to allow everyone to get some refreshments and use the facilities. It will feature Supreme Commander Sir William Blake. He will be discussing the military aspects of the alliance. After that is the press conference. If you have any questions for me that will be where I will answer them. Again, I thank you all for coming.”

[Newrey]

Blake nodded and smiled as he was invited onto the stage by Lino Minicozzi, the Secretary-General. He made strides towards it, while maintaining the sharp form of a Newreyan soldier. Shaking hands with Minicozzi, he stepped to the centre of the stage and began to speak;

"Thank you Secretary-General Minicozzi, that was a fine speech detail the less violent aspects of our alliance. Now, the Drago Entente operates on two aspects. One being the more peaceful and cooperative political side, however the military side, my responsibility, exists to ensure that other powerful nations know we cannot be pushed around. The first deployment of Drago Forces as a fighting unit in war was during the Johkan War, where 40,000 Aquidish and Newreyan deployed in a diversionary attack on the heavily defended South-Eastern Coast, where they faced considerable resistance. However, they managed to push through and managed to draw in more Johkan forces, preventing them being used in the fight against the main attack.

While a small role, the quality of Drago troops shone through as they were able to take on forces many times their size and remain in the winning position, with the Coalition becoming successful in the war. This displays the commitment of the Drago Entente to use force when necessary and not shy away from sacrifices when the correct thing must be done.

Now, what is the goal of the Dragon Entente? Well, we recognise that peace is almost impossible to attain, so we needed something more realistic. As such, we opted to ensure stability in a region to prevent major wars from breaking out. Strategically placing troops, we will be able to encourage two sides to open a dialogue instead of continual fighting, however intervention is never off of the table.

One such region we're working in is the Green Ocean with our anti-piracy task forces. So far, record amounts of drugs, narcotics, weapons, and other illegal items have been seized, hundreds of drug runners arrested, many pirates destroyed in the region. The clear benefit of this is that it allows for trade to carry on with an increased feeling of safety, and allows for the area to improve its conditions. The prevention of drugs being passed through also prevents the degradation of society that this items cause. We're also present in Arabekh with our first Arabekhi ally, the United Democratic Emirates of Onza. Newrey has a history cooperating with Onza stretching back centuries, so its inclusion within the alliance was obvious and, as stated by President Xolani Kojo previously stated, the benefits have been immediate and welcome. Decreased piracy. Increased safety. Increased amount of money coming into the country. The benefits go on and on.

The Entente is also set on military cooperation with other nations, as seen with the previously mentioned Johkan War. An international coalition rose up in defence of the innocents and the effect is clear. The Entente wishes for this spirit of cooperation to continue and is open to cooperate with almost any nation that is willing to take part in exercises. Even training is a possibility. The world renowned Shipyæger came here, to Onza, to help train the Onzan forces in how to better operate at sea.
With the longest military training of any military unit, the knowledge of the Shipyæger has positively benefited the Onzans, as well as any nation that seeks to receive it.

Now, in wartime, there are always civilians caught in the crossfire. The Entente makes it it's mission to ensure that there are minimal civilian casualties and that they receive the appropriate medical attention once evacuated.

Now, I believe it's time for the press conference and questions."

[Crylante]

Elowen Schmidt and Mylène De Raya had been sitting together in the audience, listening to the speeches by the three nations. Both Elowen and Mylène had been taking notes in the speeches so that they had the information that they needed for their jobs; Elowen had made neat notes about the piracy forces, while Mylène had made more messy notes about the economic and trade side of the alliance.

Both had itching questions to ask the presenters. But Elowen decided to go first. "My question is directed towards Onzaian President, Xolani Kojo and his talk about piracy forces." She spoke in Oser, as out of the two widely spoken languages in Vanir, she thought the translators would be more likely to be able to translate Oser than native Vaniric. "I am the Minister of Justice and Security in the Crylantian overseas territory of the Vanir Islands. We are a small archipelago of around forty thousand people within the Green Ocean. As such, we are easily susceptible to privacy. While we have a coast guard, it is not always able to stop piracy in our territorial waters. Would we be able to rely on the help of the task force to protect us from piracy?"

[Ternca]

Kolosta International Airport
The Terncan Convoy waltzed from the limo into Kolosta vast modern airport, on a beautiful section with post modernist architecture, beautifully crafted marble steps, first class indeed . The Terncan Minister of Defense, the Terncan Minister of Foreign Relations, the Terncan Delegate to the CEMP High Council, would all attend the summit, center stage. They walked into the airport escorted by several guards, they were wearing luxurious Terncan tuxedos as a show of Professionalism. Entering the beautiful large first class lounge, one filled with beautiful seats, and high class mural; they sat down looking at their options. The Mod recommended a massage for the men which they would take before meeting up with other CEMP delegates from Malban and the CPSN. Finally they bordered their first class flight of Pitisa with their Malbanian and CPSN partners and flew to Onza for the summit.
Onza
The delegates walked into the conference hall with their CPSN and Malbanian friends, and sat down. The delegates listened to the various speeches, some they were focused on, others were slept off, but they had a decent idea of the central point. After the end of the first summit the MoD raised his hand to ask a question, “As you know both CEMP and The Drago Entene share a clear interest in the openness of trade routes, the safety of trade from pirates, and the ability for freedom of navigation. Since the Terncan Navy is by far the largest navy in the what you refer to as ‘Green Ocean ‘ region, we would like to ask about future cooperation to defend the region from threats. Working together we can curtail far more piracy than working apart.“. He then waited patiently for a response.

[Onza]

"Thank you for your question. I've had the pleasure of visiting the Vanir Islands, and although that was a while ago, I witnessed firsthand the heartiness of the unique peoples there. Presently, the Anti-Piracy Task Force in the Green Ocean does not reach the waters surrounding the Vanir Islands.

With that said, I will make a motion during tomorrow's closed session to discuss the issue further. If the Entente can craft an acceptable proposal to help combat the problem your people are facing, we will kindly approach you about in the future.

I want to take a moment also to reiterate that any areas covered by our anti-piracy task forces are among the safest waters to sail in. It is unfortunate that we are unable to patrol the entire world, but that is a limitation we are presently unable to circumvent. Thank you again for your question."

[Newrey]

Blake nodded "Thank you, the Terncan delegation, as stated the Entente remains open to working with any trustworthy nation in any region to ensure the success of both the Task Forces and the reduction of the threat of piracy, so cooperation with the CEMP is certainly a possibility that we will look in to during the Conference following this."

[Midrasia]

As raised hands within the room began to fade a member of the accompanying press corps came stood to address the Entente's delegates.

"Hello, i'm Marie Virende, from Midrasia Today. Two questions. Both of my questions are to all leading members of the alliance.
My first question is, what is the alliance's stance on the current conflict in Rennekka and do you believe as one leading political scientist stated recently that we have entered an era of a new cold war between the authoritarian west and democratic east?
Secondly, how can an alliance apparently standing for values such as freedom and democracy across Aeia also stand with, and actively defend, a nation which not only turns a blind eye to hate crime, but also outright endorses and legislates homophobia?"

[Newrey]

Blake smiled and nodded;

"While I can't speak for the political aspect of the Entente, militarily, we aren't interested in some suggested Cold War but, if it were the case, we would seek to thaw relations and encourage cooperation. We've cooperated with Volgaria and Torroso to soothe crises and cultural exchanges, which we seek to expand upon to build up a rapport of sorts. Stance wise, we support the democracies due to our very nature of being democratic nations.

And for your second question, it doesn't take a political scientist to understand which nation you're talking about. My own nation of Newrey is by no means a gold standard nation of civil liberties, however the internal politics of nations is left up to them. The Entente works only to ensure cooperation between those involved and secure the mutual defence and support democracy and freedom. After many days of working and compromise, I can assure you big news will be coming in relation to the LGBT Question in the coming weeks."