Kalistani Major History

[Doc]

Kalistani Ambassador flies to Indrala
Ambassador Olgar Benito-Gonzales first Ambassador to Travel abroad in two years
Kaliburg, Ananto District
April 7, 3928


Defiant Crowd greets Kalistani Foreign Minister just before departure of Ambassador Benito to Indrala

Kalistan's Foreign Ministry dispatched newly appointed Ambassador to Indrala, Olgar Benito-Gonzales to Indrala to meet with his counterpart last week.  The Ambassador is the first high level diplomat to depart Kalistan in nearly two years, following the establishment of the Embargo Regime in the international waters around Kalistan, and ahead of the upcoming Presidential Elections.  The President is said to be considering non-renewal of the Embargo.  Before leaving Kalistan, Foreign Minister Suarez issued the following statement:

Representatives of the Government of Kalistan will meet with our counterparts in Indrala in the coming weeks.  Topics of conversation will include:
a)  A Statement on the official policy of the Government of Kalistan with regard to the Embargo
b)  A Statement on the official policy of the Government of Kalistan with regard to recent comments about vacated title regarding our National Territory
c)  A Statement on the official policy of the Government of Kalistan regarding the so-called "zoo" alliance.

With regard to topic "A" of this discussion, the official policy of the Government of Kalistan has been to issue private individuals LIMITED letters of marque, which authorized them, in the name of the Kalistani Government to stop and search all shipping on the Anantanese Ocean for contraband items, and then to confiscate said contraband.  There is no evidence that we have seized anything on the Schismatic Sea, or even patrolled that far south.  And within the last year, we have even sent elements of our navy to ensure that Privateers do not venture, for any reason, outside the Embargo Zone.  We have done so specifically to avoid contact with Trigunian naval elements who have been dispatched to the region, and apparently now will be joined by Indralan ships.  And there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that we have harrassed shipping flying under any other nation's flag, quarantined their ships, or seized cargo which has not transshipped through or originated from Vanukean ports.  The government of Kalistan has ALWAYS made public precisely what has been seized or quarantined, to whom it had initially belonged, and precisely which article of the Embargo Order it violated.  Those reports are made public, and are printed on the Government of Kalistan's Website.  We have not tried to hide or underestimate what we have confiscated-  to do so would be counterproductive to the stated purpose of this Policy, which is to drag Vanuku, kicking and screaming if need be to a settlement of the outstanding issue which remains unsettled between our two countries.  We want the Vanukean murderers behind the assassination of our President brought to justice along with a full accounting of WHY our President was murdered in mid air, and will not be satisfied until that occurs.  We seek no other form of compensation nor accommodation, by anyone.  Nor shall we offer compensation to Vanuku.

The Ambassador will re-iterate, for the dozenth time:  The Embargo includes all shipping which sails under a Vanukean Flag, as well as all goods aboard ships that originated in or transshipped through Vanukean ports, and then attempt to pass through the Anantanese Ocean.  Our target is Vanukean commerce, ONLY.  Our seizures have been designed to discourage other nations from trading with Vanuku, until such time as Vanuku approaches the Kalistani Government with a settlement offer in regard to their assassination of our former President.  We do not want war with any nation-  we merely wish to continue, in Kalistan, under a peaceful and non-aligned orientation toward the world which is happy to trade with all who are willing to trade with us.  The Embargo hurts Kalistani trade as well, as surface shipping has all but ended through the Anantanese Ocean.  But this is a wound which our people have endured nonetheless, because the cause of Justice is far more important than the benefits we receive from Commerce.  Whatever the President's decision on the Embargo after the Letters of Marque expire in June of this year, we will never stop working for Justice for our President, and we will continue in enmity with those states who continue to support the reactionaries in Vanuku as long as they refuse to seek a settlement of this major outstanding issue for Kalistan.

On a side note-  The Ambassador will mention that the Government of Kalistan is currently drafting a program which will offer limited compensation to those nations who can demonstrate that their cargoes and vessels were quarantined in error.  If enacted, this policy will repay any nation who can demonstrate that the merchandise or cargo vessels quarantined by Kalistani Privateers had not been shipped on Vanukean Ships or through Vanukean ports at 102% of the value lost.  This offer would only apply to cargo quarantined in error.  Cargo confiscated on the Seas which had any contact with Vanukean ships or ports would automatically be disqualified from any compensation program in the future.  There is no evidence that any ship or cargo was seized in error, and we have returned a number of ships to various countries who technically violated the Embargo by merely docking at Vanuku for logistical support, but the Ambassador is expected to make this suggestion to the Indralan Minister to determine whether this would allay some of the concerns of that Nation and its friends.

With regard to Issue "B", We will not acknowledge any establishment of claim over any single inch of our national territory by any foreign power.  Making any claim against any of our national territory will result in an immediate declaration of war by the Government of Kalistan.  We encourage the Government of Indrala, who professes friendship toward Kalistan, to seriously consider this fact before even hinting at the possibility of such an action.  Kalistan makes no foreign claims, but will absolutely not tolerate any suggestion of a violation of its sovereignty by an equal, nor will it tolerate the suggestion that Kalistani sovereignty will be used as a bargaining chip to gain concessions toward assassins and thugs.  Such a suggestion by the Chief Counselor is absolutely beyond the Pale.

With regard to issue "C", we do not understand the "Zoo" alliance.  We have heard diplomatic chatter with regard to such an alliance, and now we have official confirmation from the mouth of the Indralan Counselor, concerning the existence of such an alliance, but as Kalistan does not usually involve itself in the goings on of other nations, we lack the motivation to interfere with alliances made by other nations.  Ours is a desire to remain completely free of foreign entanglements, and consequently we have no interest in disrupting alliances.  Doing so would be of no benefit to Kalistan.  It would not serve any interests we have.  In fact-  what is more likely is that we would hope that Vanuku's allies would lean on Vanuku to settle the issues leading to the Embargo with us so that they may continue with their own security and commercial  arrangements without any input whatever from Kalistan.  It would seem that a strong, stable alliance that our "friends" were a part of would be to Kalistan's interest-  We would receive a proxy benefit.  A strong alliance in lands and seas around us keeps peace in our own neighborhood, ensures orderly commerce, and bears much of the security costs that Kalistan would otherwise have to bear on its own.  We are at a loss with regard to why anyone would think we were attempting to disrupt this, especially now that it means military escalation in the waters around Kalistan by people who are growing hostile to us due to their association with assassins.

We send our Ambassador in Good Faith to represent Kalistan to the Indralan Government.  We hope that any meeting with our Indralan counterparts will be conducted in this spirit as well.

Ambassador Olgar Benito-Gonzales, pictured on Left at SPoK HQ, last December
Benito was mayor of Eshar, Odufaray before being named Ambassador to Indrala

Foreign Minister Suarez ended her lengthy comments with a commitment of the Kalistani Government to peace and an offer, at any time, to speak with any official of Vanuku with the authority to speak on behalf of the Vanukean Government, at any time, and in any neutral place of Vanuku's choosing.  She reiterated that Kalistan would like to resolve this issue with Vanuku, but will not countenance threats or escalation made on behalf of Vanuku by its allies.