Regulations eased on Luziycan corporations wishing to invest in UNIR
Secretary of State Juliana Novak
BETHLEHEM, F.C. - Today, Secretary of State Juliana Novak and Ankoreni Foreign Minister Hüseyin Dündar signed a bilateral agreement to ease restrictions on Luziycan corporations investing in the Union of Nautasian Islamic Republics in exchange for the Christian Republic sending technicians to help ensure the adoption of clean coal technologies to mitigate environmental damage caused by the predominant use of coal within UNIR, especially in Ankoren and Pasdan, as well as increasing the efficiency of converting Ankoreni coal into electricity.
Despite controversy over the agreement, especially as tensions between UNIR and Ainin have risen over the past few weeks, Juliana Novak told a press conference that "the recent discussions between the Foreign Minister of UNIR and myself was primarily to discuss how to relax regulations to encourage the investment of our corporations into Irvadistan, and to implement technologies to help reduce the damage caused to the environment in the UNIR as a consequence of its industrialization over the past few decades."
In regards to the investments, she said that "with the devastation in Irvadistan, our corporations have, for the past while, contemplated expanding their operations into Irvadistan. This agreement will ensure that they will not only invest in Irvadistan, as well as the rest of the Union of Islamic Nautasian Republics, but also provide jobs."
On the clean coal issue, Juliana Novak stated that "clean coal technologies will help the people of the Union of Islamic Nautasian Republics, as our goal will be that such technologies will make converting coal into electricity more efficient, so that, if I may use a Luziycan proverb, they get more bang for their buck. This will greatly benefit Ankoreni industry, and hopefully increase their export-worthiness across the world."
Among other topics discussed in the conference between Secretary of State Juliana Novak and Foreign Minister Hüseyin Dündar was refugees: with 50,000 people still residing in refugee camps in Ankoren and Pasdan, the Christian Republic has agreed to take in twenty thousand refugees via a resettlement program.
She told reporters that "while there is now lasting peace in Irvadistan, the Christian Republic recognizes that there are some refugees who are unable to safely return to their homes for whatever reason. Therefore, we have agreed with the UNIR government to take in twenty thousand Irvadi refugees before this year is out, and resettle the Irvadis currently in Ankoren and Pasdan in our borders."
"The twenty thousand refugees that will be brought into the Christian Republic will largely comprise of the most vulnerable members, mainly families, children, LGBT individuals, and disabled individuals," she remarked. "These vulnerable individuals shall receive top priority from the Luziycan government."
As well, the conference between the two officials touched upon Mazaristan: it was agreed that Luziyca will withdraw most of their troops after defeating both the Caliphate and the Hayat Tahrir Islami, in exchange for UNIR agreeing to not launch an offensive attack on Mazaristan.
Reactions from the opposition
As the 2018 mid-term elections for the House of Representatives approach, NLP leader Dorothy Vasiliev was swift to criticize the policies, declaring that "this agreement shows that the Agapov administration continues the Liberal tradition of spineless politicking," and accused Juliana Novak of "throwing Mazaristan under the Ankoreni bus, just like how Svensson threw Nantai under the Namorian bus, just so we may keep our oil and invest in their economy."
She also accused Novak of being "naive," stating that "in a couple of years, Ankoren will invade Mazaristan. They will annex it, and pretend that they're respecting the will of the people."
Meanwhile, Whig leader Nikolai Serhoskav declared that "while the free trade provisions are admirable, as well as taking in much of the remaining refugees in Irvadistan, we are concerned that such an agreement may not only jeopardize our membership within the EC, but also empower Ankoren in Nautasia."
Finally, Socred leader Paul Nikolovich expressed his support for the agreement, as a way to "ensure a continuation of friendly relations with Ankoren without sacrificing our key tenets."
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