The news still got her shaking. Several Gianlucians were killed in a nuclear strike on Denvari territory by rogue nationalists. The parliament has passed legislation last night, that has cut off Gianatla from parts of the world market based on the fact, that some nations have nuclear weapons. There was no party, where the opinion on this piece of legislation wasn’t split, but in the end it passed parliament with a majority. GI-Land still has much of its trade going. Apart from the VPRB to most of its neighbours, to Huawan, to the CE partners. Well, to the latter for now only, maybe there will be sanctions too, if the emergency meeting with the other members goes completely downhill. But that’s something to worry about for the evening. Now she’s in the plane for a quick visit of Besern. 9 am - 6 pm, at 7 pm she’ll sit with the other CE representatives in a bungalow in the Gianlucian country side near Nordtor.
Diplomats have worked for months on a trade agreement with Besern and its close to finalisation. She hasn’t seen the final result yet, but is supposed to be brought the final draft before she landed in Brient. The chancellor will probably want some things fixed, at the very least a paragraph on joining and ratifying the TPNW will need to be embedded in whatever they decide on. She’ s not even sure, Besern has nukes…But even if not, the Cordilian partners should stand together in making this world free of WMDs.
Lastly she wondered, if the NCU still exists or rather needs some revitalisation. All that and probably more will be on the agenda, when she meets with the Besernian chancellor.
After some time she landed punctually on Brient airport. Not wanting to make a fuss about her being present, the plane she took was a normal AtlantisAir flight. A face mask and a pair of glasses were supposed to cover up her identity for the most part as she left the plane and went to the nearest train station, that will bring her closer to the city centre, from which she can take a bike to the chancellery. And so she did all that, her incognito guards following her without garnering much curiosity by the public, except for some middle-aged men eyeing them weirdly.
At around 10 am she finally arrived at the chancellery. The door to it was opened for her.
In his study, the chancellor was sitting there focused. He had finished his conference with his cabinet some time ago on the issue of international tensions that have recently developed, and the last thing he needed was another thing to rant at. He could really throw something on the floor if he could, if his developing health problems as of late isn’t giving him any further issue. Being Federal Chancellor is a “special job”, after all, from his colleagues back when he was member of the Fedinschtag among his fellow Besernian Social Democrats. Luckily, instead of being updated about the news either through his curiosity or his secretary, he was being updated about his agenda of the day and most especially his meeting with the Gianlucian delegation. There was not much to elaborate about his actions, but he was most definitely preoccupied from the outside world, diligently writing his meeting notes about the trade agreement, the recent events, among others with that cheap yet seemingly indestructible and inexhaustible ballpoint pen he bought a year ago from a branch of a stationary store chain just across a few streets. His secretary walked in out of nowhere, which must have surprised him, into his study and notified him of the incoming Gianlucian delegation due to arrive at the chancellery in a few. He hastily packed the small notebook containing his meeting notes, his agenda of the day and his laptop among others into his plucky suitcase, hoping that he isn’t too late to welcome the delegation. It would be sufficiently rude if he was late and more especially insincere, so he had to prepare himself and his delegation. Luckily, his secretary had helped him in assembling the delegation, which included members of his cabinet, most especially the Minister of Trade and Industry. As he walked down the hall towards the entrance of the chancellery, where the Gianlucian delegation was due to arrive at, his secretary whispered into his ear unexpectedly.
“By the way, I’m afraid the Federal President cannot come today. He has declared a federal state of emergency, since Ryccian forces are currently shelling Snolland, posing a danger to North Cordilian nations as a result.”
He was going to shout something out most likely in fury with the events he had to debate with his cabinet, but since he didn’t want to lose face, he whispered to himself, although he was most certainly displeased.
“Oh, fucking shit!”
The door was opened and Marja was greeted by the Besernian delegation. Those were more people than expected, considering she only brought herself and some advisors. “That shouldn’t hinder the success of the meeting though”, she thought to herself.
“Good day, Chancellor”, she greeted her Besernian counterpart and went in for a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, I hope we’ll have productive talks today and come to a solid agreement for both our nations. There’s much to talk about!”
The Federal Chancellor shook her hand. It felt weirdly cold. It could be from her journey here, maybe. Or it could be from his then isolation in his study.
“An honour to be here with you as well, Chancellor. Shall we head up to the conference room?”
“Of course, you lead the way”, she said with a warm smile. The delegation was led into a room in cozy, warm colours. Some dark green and brown accents were visible anywhere. An enourmous book shelf, the books seemed to be old with the titles written in golden letters, was noticeable on one of the walls as soon as one came in. Marja was immediately drawn to it to look over the works offered there. She saw some Besernian classics, as far as she could make the words out, and some books that might have been an old encyclopedia.
“What a wonderful ambiance we have here. Then negotiations will definitely be more fun and hopefully become more fruitful”, she figured and said out loud. The delegations sat at a long table, looking at each other as they sat on opposite sides. An aide has brought all necessary documents for the talks, but the Gianlucian delegation waited first on how Besern wants to open the talks or rather how they set the agenda.
“I’m delighted to hear that too,” the Federal Chancellor spoke. After all members of the two delegations took their seats, he introduced the Besernian delegation to Chancellor Sanddorn and her delegation. “All Besernian delegates assembled in this conference room I shall introduce to you, Your Excellency; Minister of Foreign Affairs — Mdm. Aberlil Berlyne, Minister of Defence — Mr. Beringar Werner, Minister of Trade and Industry — Mr. Yvo Hartmann, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Industry — Mrs. Leni Lorenz, and finally my secretary — Ms. Sibylle Eichel and myself, Mr. Atrueue Vischervonda, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Besern. Apologies but the Federal President, Mr. Erbe Schulte is not present today as expected, he is currently preoccupied with something else, however we hope that these discussions will be fruitful and beneficial to both our governments and the peoples of our countries.”
While he was speaking, the respective delegates were busy taking out their meeting notes and other relevant documents from apparently again, weathered suitcases, handbags, and etc… How funny is the joke that students of political science should buy a suitcase from their neighbourhood shopping centre in their freshman years and abuse it everywhere to even have the chance of being in the Federal Cabinet to the Federal Chancellor, essentially a dad joke widespread in Besern, although, he isn’t certain that this joke is even heard of in Gianatia. Anyway, with the documents widespread on at least one side of the table, the delegates smiled towards the Gianlucian delegation in a professional manner. The Minister of Foreign Affairs even took the chance to wave at Chancellor Sanddorn, albeit with pen in hand. The Federal Chancellor after speaking then retrieved his notes and laptop from his suitcase in a swift manner. From his meeting notes on paper, he tore out an agenda written in Alman specially for Her Excellency, a language that the Federal Chancellor can only boast that he learned with haste as if an average Besernian couldn’t do it, as if. It’s pretty much a something that is interesting that if you passed Besernian in school, you could have a head start in Alman as well as a third language if you ever took it.
“Say, Your Excellency,” the Federal Chancellor stated as he handed his note across the table to Chancellor Sanddorn, detailing the agenda of the day, “do you or your delegation mind a cup of tea or coffee?” The agenda of the meeting was to finish up discussions on a trade and investment framework agreement between Gianatia and Besern, as well as discuss current events, especially the coup d’état in Ryccia and the actions of the DNR, the latter which he ranted about recently, where possible. However, there was some emphasis on the pen strokes on the current events part of the agenda, as if to communicate to Her Excellency that he would like to discuss that first before detailing the framework agreement.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs during his speech was about to leave her seat towards the pantry to grab some box of chocolates from a nearby local chocolatier she had left in the Chancellery as of recently after a Cabinet session, but before she moved, she decided against that for now. Maybe she could do that if the Gianlucian delegation would like some tea, in which case she would have perfect reason to move to the pantry with the Federal Chancellor, but “nah, it’s okay”, she thought.
“Some tea, please”, and later when asked “Yeah, why not try some of your chocolates” were the answers to the immediate questions more directed towards making the substiantially smaller Gianlucian delegation feel more at home. Chancellor Sanddorn took a look at the agenda, that was given to her from the federal chancellor and noticed the stress he wanted to put onto current foreign affairs. A deep breath later, she started the conversation.
“Well, I think it’s obvious, the Federal Republic of Gianatla is currently a little frustrated about the situation in global politics, just as you are…”
It was not quite obvious, whether the chancellor was indirectly criticising the Besernian counterpart’s unprofessionalism in publicising rants about the global situation or whether she really was empathetic with him. Her voice and look stayed normal and pensive throughout her talking.
“We have lost citizens to rogue forces, that once again, like in Reizen, were able to get their hands on the worst weapons humanity has ever known. I think, it’s clear that our administration will not back down in limiting the existence of nuclear weapons in the future. A point we will talk about in the CE, but also at any state visit coming up including this one. We hope to hear from your country also some commitments in that regard.”
She was referring to the Besernians not having signed up or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons yet.