Princess Elisabeth and the Chamber of Parliament

[Yohannes]

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Friendship and Amity between the Federation and the Realm
Part of a series on Embassy Exchange Programme of Yohannes

Princess Elisabeth^[1] still could not find her way around Parliament House. She was filled with awe at the intricacies of politicking and the intimidating pillars across the far side of its chamber, a place where the ruling class could impose their will on the oppressed masses. Being young did not embarrass Elisabeth at that moment, because she was an heir to the throne of the largest state in Yohannes; but as a very inexperienced diplomat, the princess whom her father had chosen to fill the seat of a purely ceremonial office, she now found it difficult to be taken seriously. The Beltway insiders could not acknowledge her and her experience in their analysis, and the foreign diplomats too looked at her with amusement and curiosity.

She would meet one of them today. The Government of Saarkon had established an embassy here.^[2] The diplomatic mission of Ambassador Janek Kenske was located just three streets away, on the other side of Parliament Square. He would be here soon. The visit should begin with some small talk. Trade and capital flows between the Federation and the Realm next year would be welcome news to the governments of both countries.

Standing around the main entrance and visitor centre, Elisabeth waited for him to arrive.

References
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1. Office of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of Valentian Elysium. (2019). Incoming Ambassador-Designate Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth Schäfer, Duchess of East Lindblum. Retrieved from viewtopic.php?p=36392596#p36392596
2. Federal Parliament of Saarkon. (2019). Diplomatic and consular corps application. Retrieved from viewtopic.php?p=36460109#p36460109

[Saarkon]

Ambassador Janek Kenske arrived to the main entrance of Yohannesian Reichstag, got out of car and proceeded to the building. He was a little bit nervous: he was a foreigner in this country and wasn't sure everyone in Yohannesian Government and Parliament would welcome him. Ambassador Kenske was carrying a little steel case; it contained his most important tool of establishing relations with other countries - The Trade Pact draft, which was supposed to give advantages to both Saarkon and Yohannes. Kenske was a former security service officer - almost soldier - but he preferred to deal with foreign countries using trade and diplomacy, not weapons.

Few seconds later he noticed a young woman standing near the entrance and waiting for him. He came closer, smiling friendly, and said:

- I'm very happy to see you, Your Majesty. Ambassador Janek Kenske, at your service.

[Yohannes]

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I'm very happy to see you, Your Majesty

Elisabeth turned. Ambassador Janek Kenske had arrived here from the other direction, the way reporters and correspondents would come from the neighbouring parliamentary library. The Library of Parliament published tabled documents made by government departments and statutory bodies. Elisabeth was holding one, a copy of the Last Month of 2018 Report.^[3] Elisabeth glanced at the folder in her hand, and then at the briefcase of the ambassador. It seemed that Janek had brought many important papers too. He was the ambassador of an important country in Elisabeth’s eye. The Federation of Saarkon had an embassy here, an open government strategy, and an inclusive law to protect the rights and freedoms of its people—they made the Federation an ideal trading partner for her country.

Despite her anxiety, Elisabeth smiled.

Ambassador Janek Kenske, at your service.

After a moment she said, “Ambassador Janek Kenske, I am honoured to see you here—Your Excellency, what do you think of Yohannes so far?”

She extended her hand to shake his, while observing the way to the Road of Bipartisan Negotiation walkway behind him.^[4] There was not a single reporter there. Elisabeth was relieved. They would soon walk there, and, maybe, talk about the cultures and politics of their respective countries. Saarkon was a federation of two hundred million people or so. She was eager to learn about its rich cultural heritage and distinct political features.

References
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3. Bank of Yohannes. (2018). Last Month of the Year Economic Review (Report December 2018). Royal Alexandria, Yohannes: Parliament House Administration Publishing Office (PHO).
4. Ministry of Education. (2017). Buildings and symbols of Parliament. In The Pink Diary (p. 3). North Halsten, Yohannes: Halsten University Press (HUP).

[Yohannes]

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-+-PUNCH CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-+-

Princess Elisabeth’s Diary
@HRHPrincesselisa

Wrote a shout out just a while ago:

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“It’s good to see the leadership of the 37th Christian Democratic Executive Council and our elected Chancellor Annabelle Thorndon-Stevensonn. Next month, Parliament will see the first draft of the Treaty of Friendship and Amity between the Federation of Saarkon and the Realm of Yohannes.”

“The Treaty will help our manufacturers and bankers in Saarkon, freeing up working capital and reducing financial instability across our supply chain. We will help industrial machinery exporters in Saarkon, to support their expansion in our thriving networks of international trade and investment across the borders of friendly World Assembly member-states and non-member countries.”

“I’d like to ask for the International Diplomacy and Advisory Committee to consider this upcoming trade and investment bill. I look forward to seeing it go through the first reading sometime next year. The select committee’s preliminary report on or before next month will give Chancellor Annabelle Thorndon-Stevensonn the opportunity to notify His Excellency The President of the Federation of Saarkon so that our respective governments could complete their domestic procedures and work together to rationalise some of the bill’s contentious provisions.”

—@HRHPrincesselisa to the members for the general electorates in Parliament assembled, on Friendship and Amity between the Federation and the Realm.

#SaarkonYohannes #tradeinvestment #NationStates2020

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907 Hits

-+-PUNCH CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-+-

[Saarkon]

Ambassado Kenske shaked Princess's hand and answered: "Your country is very unusual and interesting for me. I have visited many capitalist countries during my service in Federal Civil Security Service and in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it is the first time when I visit a state which is ruled by a monarch". Several seconds after he continued: "I heard a lot about Bank of Yohannes. It is very popular worldwide, and I suppose that Saarkonian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Bank of Yohannes can work together. For example, our Central Bank can invest in Yohannes or deposit a part of national reserve in your country. I can also offer you a scientifical and technological cooperation. Saarkonian science and digital electronics industry are very developed, and we can establish some kind of trade pact or scientifical cooperation treaty. What do you think about it?".

[Yohannes]

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Out-of-Character (OOC) information: Hi Saarkon, I understand that you speak English as a second language, and that you might be confused by the many terms used in my In-Character posts, e.g. working party, working capital. If you have any questions, there are the N&I RP Mentors who can help and guide you [ Click me ] Good luck

In-Character (IC) information:

Ambassado Kenske shaked Princess's hand and answered: "Your country is very unusual and interesting for me. I have visited many capitalist countries during my service in Federal Civil Security Service and in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it is the first time when I visit a state which is ruled by a monarch".

“Lindblum is a two-hundred-year-old kingdom,” Elisabeth explained. “Once almost conquered by the Kingdom of Alexandria, proud of being home to some of the largest companies in Yohannes—and Yohannes itself is, of course, an elective monarchy.”^[5][6]

Several seconds after he continued: "I heard a lot about Bank of Yohannes. It is very popular worldwide, and I suppose that Saarkonian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Bank of Yohannes can work together. For example, our Central Bank can invest in Yohannes or deposit a part of national reserve in your country. I can also offer you a scientifical and technological cooperation. Saarkonian science and digital electronics industry are very developed, and we can establish some kind of trade pact or scientifical cooperation treaty. What do you think about it?"

She hesitated. From what she had seen so far, there were two types of diplomats—those who liked to use small talk to create a friendly environment and put their negotiating partners at ease, and those disdainful of small talk. It seemed that Janek was the latter. Elisabeth gave a small smile as she softly replied, “Dame Julianna, who is currently the highest-ranking executive in the Bank of Yohannes, is a Lindblumer: last week, she had a wee chat with my father about the Fridigus Amnis memorandum of understanding and investment agreement, to update our state government on news from a lovely country called the Alpes a Septentrionali Imperium.”^[7][8]

“Parliament will give the go-ahead for the establishment of asset-based credit facilities. It will be governed by a working party comprised of Saarkonian and Yohannesian government officials.”

Elisabeth looked hard at the Saarkonian ambassador. “Your Excellency, do you know much about the work of a working party?”

References
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5. Ministry of Education. (2017). 7.16.1. The Kingdom of Alexandria and 7.16.2. The Regency of Lindblum. In Archive of the Government of Yohannes (pp. 148–49). North Halsten, Yohannes: HUP.
6. Realm Parliament. (2019). In IIWiki, Premier Modern & Future Tech Fictional Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 3, 2019, from https://iiwiki.us/wiki/Realm_Parliament
7. Bank of Yohannes. (2011). Leading Figures. Retrieved from https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=75306
8. Hahn, S. (2019, October 30). Multinational banks poured $10 billion of capital for Alpeian civil construction companies. Association of Yohannesian Banks. Retrieved from https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1276262

[Saarkon]

OOC: Thank you very much, Yohannes! I do my best to understand everything you write, and I hope it's not difficult for you to understand me. Sorry for late reply!

IC: Janek felt a little bit uneasy. He was experienced military and security negotiator, but he was almost new to economic relations: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a template of the Trade Pact he brought to the meeting, and he was just going to discuss and, maybe, sign it with someone from Yohannesian government officials. But Ambassador Kenske was a fair man, and he decided not to hide his lack of experience in economics. He answered: "No, Your Majesty, right now I don't know much about structure of working party. When Saarkon signed last trade pact, a working party consisted of Saarkonian Second Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Saarkonian Second Deputy Advisor for Tourism and some top-level managers from corporations located in signing country. Who you want to will be included in Saakonian-Yohannesian working party and how exactly will it work?".

[Yohannes]

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"No, Your Majesty, right now I don't know much about structure of working party. When Saarkon signed last trade pact, a working party consisted of Saarkonian Second Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Saarkonian Second Deputy Advisor for Tourism and some top-level managers from corporations located in signing country."

Elisabeth was quiet for a while, watching the Saarkonian ambassador. She felt unsure. “In Yohannes, select committees, like the Law Commission, are good examples of long-established working parties. Here, many working parties include politicians who are appointed to examine, consider, and report on matters assigned to them by Parliament. That said, politicians are not allowed to join some working parties in Yohannes—like the Law Commission, which include only judges, or the School Services Commission, which include only teachers.”^[9]

She gave Janek a look that would hopefully make him smile knowingly, then chuckled. “I understand your excellency’s confusion perfectly. How many countries, and World Assembly member states, are there? Thousands, many with diverse political structures. I give my willing suspension of disbelief when I read my dossiers, sometimes.”

“But how about the great federation, something like a working party, appointed by the government or the legislature—do they exist in Saarkon?”

References
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9. Realm Law Commission. (2017). Judicature Modernisation Summary (Annual Report 2017). Royal Alexandria, Yohannes: PHO.

[Saarkon]

Janek began to understand the situation better. He replied to Princess: "Saarkonian 'working parties' aren't similar to Yohannesian. They consist of specialists from government, not of ordinary citizens, and they are used only in foreign relations, as I have described before. But we have some organizations that are close to your country's working groups. They are called State Councils. State Councils are included in Government, but their primary objective is not to develop laws, economical solutions and so on, but to control Ministries and State Committees. Our Government is based on Ministries and Committees, which are formed from government officials, because every law and every budget or industrial solution is developed by them. But Councils, which consist of ordinary citizens and specialists, control decisions of bureaucrats and make sure that they will not limit civil and political rights of Saarkonian people. We believe that country shold be ruled by professionals, but ordinary citizens should have a right to control them. Most State Councils are subordinate to Parliament, but some of them are truly independent, and even President can't affect their work". He smiled and added: "Do you understand me now, Your Majesty?".

[Yohannes]

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"Do you understand me now, Your Majesty?".

“Yes—they are working groups,” Elisabeth said. She winked at Janek and then giggled. “My apologies, here we call them working parties, not working groups.” She waited until the walkway was empty again, then she urged the Saarkonian ambassador forward very slowly. “The Road of Bipartisan Negotiation is over there, your excellency.”

“Please follow me, this way …”