Kalistani Major History

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Interview With NCP Ministers
Foreign Minister Feinstein and Trade/Industry Minister Siddall Discuss Foreign Trade and the NCP's Future Plans for the Economy
September 21, 4634

Foreign Minister Dave Feinstein Jr.

J(ose) T(rejo-Martinez's) Interview with Foreign Minister D(ave) F(einstein) and Trade/Industry Minister D(anilo) S(iddall)


JT: Good afternoon, Minister Feinstein, Minister Siddall.

DF: Afternoon.

JT: Minister Feinstein, there've been rumors going around that you've been in contact with the Kazulian government over some sort of trade agreement. Is there any truth to this?

DF: Yes, Mr. Trejo-Martinez, I can confirm that I've personally been in talks with representatives of the Kazulian government for a while now, we've been discussing the possibility of a broad trade agreement between Kalistan and Kazulia.

JT: And what exactly would this agreement entail?

DF: We haven't gone too much into specifics, but, in general, the agreement would see Kazulian companies opening factories in Kalistan as well as cooperation between Kalistan and Kazulia on industrial R&D initiatives.

JT: And why did Kazulia choose to approach us? Relations between our two countries have been quite rocky in the past, what gain could convince them to overlook past quarrels?

DF: Well, profit speaks louder than anything. For Kazulian companies, that profit comes from our zero percent corporation tax rate. For us, the profit comes from increased industrial development.

JT: And Minister Siddall, have you taken part in these negotiations?

DS: I have, but to a lesser extent. For the most part, I've advised Minister Feinstein and our negotiators on Kalistan's economic needs and issues.

JT: And what exactly were those needs and issues?

DS: Kalistan used to be one of the world's leaders in the extraction of crude oil and ferrominerals, but those industries have largely been in decay over the past decades. I've advised that these industries need to be built back up first and foremost and need to be in the hands of Kalistanis. I don't believe this was an issue to begin with, the Kazulians are most interested in the construction of factories rather than mines and oil rigs. My advice was to keep the decay of our most essential industries in mind during any economic talks.

JT: Thank you, Minister Siddall. Now, Minister Feinstein, as we all know, you will be attending the Eight Economies summit in Eroncourt next year as a specially invited guest. What exactly will be your goal at this summit.

DF: Well, again I have to begin my answer with 'in general', but in general I will be working to strike up some talks for mutually-beneficial trade deals with Terra's economic powers. In addition to this, I hope to speak more with the Kazulian leaders about our potential trade deal. Both Prime Minister Hedegaard and Finance Minister Michaelsen will be attending the summit and I hope to have some one-on-one discussions with both of them before the end of the meeting.

JT: Thank you. I have one final question. Minister Siddall, could you briefly explain the NCP's future plans for the economy?

DS: I sure can. As a stated earlier, our first goal should be to revive the oil and ferromineral industries. These industries used to be the most profitable in Kalistan and made our nation one of Terra's powers. Now, these industries are in shambles and need to be rebuilt and modernized. In addition to this, Minister Feinstein and I have been hard at work to draft a new ODEN-Kalistan charter. Kalistan has the largest recreational drug industry in Terra and our recent withdrawal from ODEN has taken a significant toll on that industry. We definitely need a new ODEN. Our last major goal should be to increase trade with foreign powers who have the potential to improve our economy and prosperity. Minister Feinstein will be taking the first step in this goal next year while he's in Eroncourt. After we meet these three goals, that is when we should begin to encourage the growth of smaller industries in Kalistan.

JT: Thank you for you time, Ministers. This was very helpful in clarifying the NCP's and the government's plans for our future.