Kalistani Major History

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Socialist Party Leader condemns Trigunian Escorts of Shipping in Schismatic Sea
Denies Privateer Activity
Vrassa City, Vrassa District
June 17, 3927

In a stunning turn of events, Kalistani Opposition Speaker Hillary Clark denounced the comments of The Trigunian Navy, warning Socialist Partisans to not attempt to quarantine shipping passing through the Schismatic Sea.  Clark spoke before the graduating Class at Kalistani Naval Warfare University in Vrassa two years after the assassination of Kalistani President Elga Bjorksdattir, and one year after the inauguration of the Kalistani Privateer program.


Opposition Leader Clark addresses the KNWU Graduating Class of 3927, in Vrassa

"We absolutely deny operations in the Schismatic Sea by our Partisans.  Letters of Marque only extend to the straits between Lodamun and Dolgaria in the north and the National Waters of Gaduridos  and Vorona in the South.  The Quarantine Zone does not continue to the south of there.  If Privateers are operating beyond that line, they are obviously not operating under Kalistani Letters of Marque-  they may be pirates from other nations.  The Trigunians should feel free to sink all vessels to whom they attribute piracy operating in the Schismatic Sea, rather than attempting to pin these acts on Kalistani Nationals. 

"What really frustrates us in Kalistan is that our friends in Trigunia still ship their goods in Vanukean ships, and those ships still attempt to run our Embargo with impunity.  We would instead hope that Trigunia would press Vanuku to accept responsibility for their actions, and offer Kalistan reparations for the useless destruction of life two years ago.  But, the President has announced, the other day that Kalistani naval vessels will patrol the borders of the Embargo Zone to ensure that Vanukean and Trigunian naval vessels remain outside of danger and to ensure that Kalistani Privateers remain inside the Embargo Zone.  The Government of Kalistan has committed an additional aircraft carrier group to the edges of the Embargo Zone, as well as two quick deployment Destroyer taskforces, and a missile frigate group.  This is in addition to the normal patrols and coast guard units that are regularly dispatched from Kalistani Ports to offer whatever assistance that Kalistani Nationals may require at sea.

"One final thing-  We would like to highlight that this escalation in Trigunian naval activity in the Schismatic Sea is unprovoked.  We must disclose that, in encounters with Vanukean shipping over the last few months, as Privateers were attempting to enforce the Embargo on Vanukean shipping near Kalistan, Vanuku has sunk or completely disabled 27 ocean going vessels flying Kalistani colors in international waters.  More than 85 Kalistani Privateers, operating with the full authority of the Kalistani Government on the High Seas, have lost their lives since the beginning of this year enforcing the Embargo Policy.  All were Socialist Partisans.  We have not asked for a single Ruble in compensation for the destruction caused by Vanukean Naval escorts in International Waters within the Embargo Zone.  We have not sought additional sanctions against Vanuku.  We have not denied Vanuku the opportunity to trade with any nations outside the Embargo Zone. 

"We established this Embargo with our national security interests in mind, following the assassination of our President and Foreign Minister, which Vanuku mendaciously denied any sort of involvement in.  Naturally, given our long friendship with Trigunia, and our recent warm relations, we encourage Trigunia to not extend their anti-Piracy policy into the Kalistani Embargo Zone.  We hope that someday our relations may be repaired, and we look for the day when we can end the Embargo and restore normal shipping in and around Kalistan.  Hopefully, Vanuku will do the right thing and reach out to our Nation in an attempt to settle this issue in a way which satisfies all involved."

To date, Kalistani Privateers have seized more than 60 Million rubles worth of goods from ships attempting to run the Embargo Zone and quarantined more than 250,000 DW tonnes of shipping.  The vast majority of that amount was seized before March of this year, when seizures throughout the Anantanese Ocean dropped off significantly due to re-routing of Vanukean shipping to the South and then the use of overland shipping.  Increased patrols of International Waters by Vanukean naval vessels have also put a severe dent in Privateer activity within the last few months.