Kalistani Major History

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Lodamun's Teller arrives in Kaliburg
Trilateral talks with Lodamun and Lourenne focus on new relationships
Kaliburg, Ananto
October 1, 5362


Lourenne's Merchant General David Teller tours Kalsie with KALNAPECO-PETRO reps

The Merchant General of Lodamun, David Teller, met with Minister of Trade and Industry Alice Taliferro this week to hammer out a new basis for trade between the two northern Seleyan nations. Also in Kaliburg for consultations was Lourenne's Yves Penault, who represented Pétrole Royale (PETRO), KALNAPECO's Lourenne Partner. The representatives of the three nations met to discuss the potential of selling petroleum directly to Lodamun, as well as deepening trade relations between Kalistan and Lodamun.

Thomas Knepp, who is the COO of KALNAPECO, joined by Maxwell Weber of KALENCON, which coordinates both KPO and PETRO within Kalistan, spoke briefly on the potential for selling oil. "During our talks with both Lodamun and Lourenne," said Knepp, "it became clear that Kalistan can do business with Lodamun on a mutually beneficial basis. While KPO will not be increasing production in the Suldanor Formation, PETRO has stated that they are willing to increase production in the Straits, and divert the increased production to Lodamun. KPO has also offered assistance to Lodamun to help increase their refining capabilities within Lodamun itself, as part of the deal. The final details of the sale will be hammered out between PETRO and Lodamun itself at a later date, but there is a firm commitment to beginning to sell oil from the offshore platforms to Lodamun when those details are hammered out to ensure that PETRO and Lodamun can meet their individual interests." Weber added: "We also look forward to future cooperation on technology sharing for renewables to Lodamun so they can build alternatives to fossil fuel technology as well. This agreement represents a foundation for a new, long term energy alliance in the northern Anantonese Ocean."

Beyond talks of oil, Teller discussed deepening trade between Kalistan and Lodamun. "It is important to note that Kalistan and Lourenne have a long standing trade union," said Minister Taliaferro. "That relationship of zero friction trade between Kalistan and Lourenne can also benefit Lodamun, even if Kalistan acts as a pass through for Lourennais goods to Lodamun and vice versa. We certainly invite both Lodamun and Lourenne to consider the possibility of expanding our trade union to Lodamun, and we believe that erasing the border between Kalistan and Lodamun the way we did with Lourenne now more than 100 years ago can only bring both republics great benefits."

The Kalistan-Lourenne agreement,(The Anantonese Economic Standardization Accord, or AESA) which treats all investment as domestic and abolishes the border for purposes of trade and capital movement between the two nations has been a net positive for Kalistan, as much of its domestic consumer base has increased choice and decreased price in the market, while consumers benefit from comparative advantage on both sides of the Lourenne Channel. "Expansion of this agreement to Lodamun may answer a lot of challenges that Lodamun currently faces and there is certainly strong support for that in the National Assembly as well," said Taliaferro. Lourenne has also signaled their willingness to welcome Lodamun too, if Lodamun decides to ratify the treaty.

The meetings with Merchant General Teller lasted a week and were held primarily in Kaliburg, where the Merchant General met with several members of the Government's economic team, toured the Kalsie exchange, visited the offices of the International Cambio, and held discussions about trade. The trip also included a visit to Port Swedes and Addisjah, both of which are in the middle of urban renewal and strongly resembled a warzone. Infrastructure Minister Megan Carruthers was on hand in Addisjah to show Merchant General Teller the new construction techniques being employed in the rebuilding of the border city. "This building here is a 17 story high-rise, and the windows themselves are translucent photovoltaics provided by Sulari Sun Catcher, the start up which is working with KALENCON to create photovoltaic glass that we are installing in our buildings. This building here will be carbon negative and will be a net energy producer when it is fully constructed, providing the residents and people of Addisjah cheap clean energy. We are building high-rise blocks just like this throughout our major cities and encouraging all new construction to also have roof top gardens which will further reduce light reflection an will keep buildings better insulated, extending the lives of our buildings and encouraging sustainable food production in the city environment."

While Teller was in Addisjah, he was given a tour of the site that will be a future branch of MoCo. "MoCo had planned to open a plant in northern Vrassa for some years now," said Carruthers. "We were waiting for signals from Lodamun, but got the word a few months ago that this was a go, and investment began moving to MoCo to fund the construction of a new multi line plant that will not only begin producing Kalistani vehicles more efficiently that the old Sulari plant, but will also have a convertible line specifically for export to Lodamun of all the various types of motors that the Lodamese automakers order. The line will be tooled to produce gas, diesel and electric engines, as well as hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell engines, as the customer specifies. As MoCo will produce engines to order, when the new factory is complete in two years, we will begin requesting specs for Lodamese autos and begin building full lots of engines for export to Lodamun."

The Merchant General was also treated to a ride on the National Maglev Railroad, from Addisjah to Sulari, where he flew back to Kaliburg for final talks before returning to Kensington. The visit was enthusiastically welcomed in Kalistan, as the Republic has long sought ways to deepen its trade and cultural relations with its neighbor and second most important trading partner, but whose connection has regularly been thwarted by isolation and nationalist attitudes on both sides of the Jah River. "It is our hope that the isolation of yesterday is behind us," said Minister Taliaferro. "There is no reason our two nations should not be heavily invested in one another and deeply integrated. We speak much the same language, we share a long historical tie, and we want to do business. Hopefully Mr. Teller's mandate signals seriousness in the Lodamese government to those ends as well."

Teller flew home early this morning and landed safely in Lodamun.