Mexican-Selian Diplomatic Meeting [CLOSED - Invited Only]

[The Panselian League]

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In the aftermath of the successful revolution waged by the Hidalgoistas group—known also as Solidarity—and the rise of Jose Cortez to the Presidency, the League of the Selians has invited the aforementioned President to meet with the annually eponymous Hegemon, Ardaelion of Thassos. Having offered its support to the then-rebels, the League now wishes to formalise relations with the new anti-Marxist government of Mexico, and thus the Synedrion of the League has authorised the Hegemon to receive the President and discuss all matters of importance.

The meeting has been scheduled to take place in the city of Ialyos, administrative and political capital of the League of the Selians. Hegemon Ardaelion, originally born in the city-state of Thassos, takes executive residence there at the Sacred House, a palace complex of sorts designed to centralise the federal administration of the League under the oversight of the Hegemon, and located near the meeting place of the Synedrion.

The international airport outside of Ialyos has been cleared for the Presidents arrival, and a motorcade arranged for his transportation to the Sacred House. Archon of the city of Ialyos, Seremedes, son of Kynekos, is to receive the President at the airport and ensure his safe passage with all his aides and security to the destined meeting place.

Important matters await discussion. Talk of trade, of travel, and of building a closer relationship.

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This thread is reserved exclusively for The Panselian League and Nordamy. Any input by other players will be ignored, and we respectfully ask that no such input is made in accordance with the maturity and decency of the participants in NationStates roleplay.

[Nordamy]

International Airport, Outside of Iaylos
The presidential jet began it's descent into The Panselian League with President Cortez and his team aboard. It was early in the morning but the atmosphere onboard was awake and charged. Cortez was calmly looking over the talking points for the many meetings that were scheduled for the day. Despite having only gotten about four hours of actual sleep, he was focused and calm, perhaps due to having already finished two cups of coffee. Accompanying him was his, Vice President, Watson Ruiz and his Prime Minister, Jennifer "Jen" Vazquez. President Cortez was the oldest at 27 followed by Watson at 25 and Jen at 23. VP Watson, a mixed Kreyole from Port au Prince had set his notes aside and was typing something on his laptop. Prime Minister Jen was busy checking the news on her cellphone, her brown eyes scanning headlines. Their security detail was moderate, composed of members of Secret Service and Battalion Z or Los Zetas, a special forces division of the armed forces. None were concerned about risks of assassination as the League was deemed to be a friendly nation due to their support for the war.

They touched down and were escorted off the airplane by Secret Service and one Los Zetas commando, his all black tactical gear and balaclava making him look intimidating. A young man, Seremedes, was there to meet them with a small detail of security. All three shook his hand and thanked him.

"Thank you for inviting us to your country."
Cortez said. With his long hair and facial hair, he knew he stood out. He couldn't help but briefly think the Selian think him to be unhinged. Afterall, some close friends said they could "read him" by his eyes having a somewhat "damaged soul" look. That didn't matter, he was here to talk business and formal friendship.

He was dressed professionally in a shirt and tie. Despite being warm out, he wore long sleeves to hide his many tatoos and his religious necklace, a pendant of Christ and Santisma Muerte. Seremendes welcomed them and lead them to waiting limousines. They all sat in one along with a Secret Service agent and the same Los Zetas commando. They rode up to the Sacred Palace going over the final points of their discussions. People were on the streets to welcome their arrival. Many were cheering them on and a few had small Mexican flags.

[The Panselian League]

Sacred House, Ialyos | 2039

The Mexican president had arrived. Ardaelion stepped outside of the main doors to the Sacred House, the official residence of the Hegemon. He was joined there by a small number of eminent figures, including the eldest member of the Synedrion; and the high priestess of the Ialyosian cult of Lestris, the hearth-state goddess. All were dressed appropriately of course. Ardaelion felt he represented most correctly the dignity of his office, standing as he did in the pure white long tunic, topped with the thick woolen white toga—adopted of course back in the earliest days of the League as an echo of their Roman forebears—with its dark purple stripes. Atop his head, a gold laurel crown, worn by the sitting Hegemon, now nestled in his dark blond hair. The Synedrion elder, by the name of Gaemidon, was dressed similarly, although his toga was decorated with red rather than purple, and he lacked the laurel crown. The high priestess, Rhadaethena, cut a figure of total chastity. She, like Gaemidon, held rank by virtue of age, twenty-one years into her twenty-five year oath of celibacy to the dedication of Lestris and the hearth cult. The woman herself was little more than a standing symbol, with nearly no skin visible. A crimson himation cloak wrapped around body and arms concealed her from sight, a second cloak providing cowl and mask, and only her blue eyes stared out from within.

In truth, this was no traditional reception. The League had not often entertained foreign heads of state, and no real customs had been established for its process. Ardaelion hoped this would be the groundwork for one however; the sitting Hegemon of course, empowered to act in the best interests of the state; the most senior member of its legislative body, a figure of wisdom and experience; and the chief tender to the sacred flame of Ialyos, representing its heart, life, and vitality. His head turned as the limousines arrived. Seremedes—the archon of Ialyos—exited the first car, and out of the second came his guests. President Cortez was a strong image indeed. Though dressed rather professionally in the Mexican style, he had an almost wild appearance to him. He was not a man about whom Ardaelion had been extensively briefed, after all, his rise was fairly recent and perhaps also unexpected. The Hegemon raised an eyebrow upon seeing the second man exit the car. He had not expected one of apparent African descent. Certainly an uncommon sight in Selia itself, though perhaps less uncommon in the city-states of Africa. The third figure to leave was a woman, the fairest skinned of the three.

The archon of Ialyos approached the Sacred House, the building guarded by the Sacred Spears, with the guests in tow, and introduced them to the Hegemon.

"Your honour, I present his excellency, the President of the Mexican Confederation, Jose Cortez." Seremedes began. Ardaelion inclined his head in a gesture of respect to a fellow head of state and shook his hand. Selian custom was the arm, but the Hegemon was willing to accommodate the foreign custom. "Vice President, Watson Ruiz." Seremedes continued. Ardaelion likewise gave the gesture of respect, and shook the man's hand. "And Prime Minister, Jennifer Vazquez." Once again, he inclined his head, and took the woman's hand, although in her case he did not shake, but rather hold it momentarily.

"My friends, I welcome you to Selia, and to Ialyos. I am Ardaelion, of the city of Thassos, Hegemon of the League of the Selians. It is an office to which I have been returned three times so far, and in the years in which it was not occupied by myself, I have filled other roles in the government of this country. The recent history of your country, and your positions now, tell me that you are of the same disposition to commitment on the behalf of your people. I have the honour of formally introducing my good friend Seremedes, the elected archon of this great city; Gaemidon, the most senior sitting member of our legislative body, the Synedrion; and Rhadaethena, devoted high priestess to Lestris." The Hegemon paused, to gesture the three, and their assembled security, including a black-clad commando of some sort, into his residence. "Please, enter my home and accept guest right. Rooms have been prepared for your stay, and we can commence with preliminary talks over a drink to formalise our friendship."

[Nordamy]

Once the formalities were out of the way, the group got down to informal business more or less. Drinks were served to everyone there along with typical picker foods. Cortez was the first to speak from his group

"This is actually my first time abroad outside of the Americas. My friends Watson and Jen have been to Europe before."

Watson chimed in

"Only Monte Carlo and Barcelona. That was our University years"

Prior to the revolt, Watson's family were of the Communist elite. This meant money and being a closeted anti Communist. He had met Jose in their political theory class at Father Hidalgo University. They studied the banned works of Henry George, Thomas Paine, Sun Yat Sen and Frederic Bastiat. That much was known to the public for the most part. What was delegated to the realm of conspiracy theories was how they practiced Brujera and Voodoo, their love of the supernatural side of the Church. While true, it was not known to many outside their close friend circle, whom they named "The Louverture Club" after the famed revolutionary. The Club is somewhat known to have existed but is regarded much like the American Skull and Bones or Masons, shadowy but known to have existed.

"I have to say, your support during the revolution was a much welcomed surprise. I must ask, why us of all peoples? Working men and women, trade unionists, disgruntled law enforcement, clergy and students"

[The Panselian League]

Ardaelion took a sip of the wine being served. The room was a lounge of the Sacred House, and had long been used for the initial welcoming and entertaining of guests to the League. In mutual trust, the room was absent guards, with both the Sacred Shields and the Mexican bodyguards waiting elsewhere. Aside from the well-dressed man serving them wine, a member of the slave class with employment in the House, the Hegemon was alone with President Cortez, Vice President Watson, and Prime Minister Vazquez. He sat on one sofa, facing them, as President Cortez asked him about the League's support.

"Marxism has few fans amongst the Selians, you'll find." he began. "It is a parasitic idea, a futile rebellion against the excellence of an individual working on the genuine behalf of his people in a hierarchical and ordered fashion. That, as you say, members of your working class, members of law enforcement, men of faith, and those pursuing knowledge and wisdom were all united against the threat of Marxist destruction, gave us hope that with the right assistance, you had the spirit and will required to overthrow such an abnormal system."

Taking another ship, he responded to the President's initial comment. "That this is your first time out of the Americas, and that you came to our country, is no small honour your excellency. The Selians have on too few occasions enjoyed the splendour of visits from foreign countries. It is good for them to feel and know the truth that our league of city-states has a prominent place in the world, and you confirm this with your acceptance of the invitation made." Pausing for a moment, he offered a question of his own. "Though of course it was we who invited you here, I must ask, what do the Mexicans hope to come from this meeting between yourselves and I?"

[Nordamy]

Watson replied to the question posed to them first

"We hope to further our alliance first and foremost. You see, the Americans to the North of us barely paid us much mind. The Ascoobians kept us as a footnote in their morning papers."

Cortez chimed in

"It was not so long ago Mexico was one of those dirty little countries that barley rated a sidebar. This war started out like so."

He opened up a little pamphlet that kept his policy proposals. He was not one to really mince words or beat around the bush like the career politicians that ran the country beforehand. Sure he had a strategy and that was to meet over drinks. With alcohol in their systems and inhibitions ever so slightly dampened even if not intoxicated. His opportunity to get started was now when everyone was comfy.

"I would like to propose something that we value next to freedom from oppression. That would be education. I would like to propose a student visa program and school partnerships. This would allow students from both counties to study abroad and for schools to partner up, thus making the opportunity to study abroad easier and more cost effective for students. How the money and financial aid will be handled is for another time and perhaps handled best by school boards. After all, the Communist regime wasted tons of money when they subsidized education by almost 100 percent."

He gave him some of the finer talking points from access to student housing and being allowed to move about the nation freely.

Vazquez added
"All of us here are educated from the elite Father Hidalgo University. I am sure it's prestige is known"
Father Hidalgo University is an elite university and was the home of The Louverture Club