Kalistan

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Emperor's First Major Speech Deals with Kundrati
"It could go either way, but there are promising signs" said new Monarch
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 20, 5672


His Imperial Majesty Addresses National Assembly

In his first major address before the National Assembly, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto stunned the Foreign Policy establishment in the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan. When he asked for time to address the Assembly, it was believed that he was going to announce major changes to the Government that he has been teasing for months. However, the topic of this speech was not a Government shakeup but a message on Kalistan's old enemy Kundrati. Below is the text of His Imperial Majesty's brief speech:

Deputies of the National Assembly,

We approach this hollowed body to lay out our National Security and Foreign Policy priorities for the coming year. Specifically, we wish to inform the National Assembly of our intention to take an interest in the developments in Kundrati, with the aim of finally, hopefully, and permanently resolving our longstanding disputes with that nation and establish a peaceful modus vivendi with them. If the Deputies and the Government has been keeping abreast of Artanian News, it shall have come to their attention that there has been a major shift in that nation's political establishment which brooks some encouragement for a positive change there. We shall provide some details as we have learned them.

It would appear that the fascists, or as they are saying, Ordosocialists, have fallen, have been outlawed, and are currently being hunted by the National Government under the KPP. Students of history will recall that Kalistani Partisans served under KPP command during the Second Kundrati War. Following that war, though the Legion merely changed its name to the Vanguard, and remained entirely in power for another four decades, the KPP for its part went underground.

The main catalyst for KPP reactivation was the death of the demagogue Jozef Otčenáš, himself a complete devotee to the cult of Sladek, after which point his son, the most inferior iteration of the same fascist original yet, launched a reign of terror that resulted in a popular uprising against the Vanguard Party. In the midst of this insanity, the election of 5668 was held which produced a surprising result of voters turning out the Vanguard Party. The Vanguardists predictably launched a temper tantrum because they lost an election they believed they had ensured for themselves, and the subsequent reaction their shameful display of sore-loserism produced from the Government was both extremely violent and extremely destructive to the Capital and especially to the State of Lirnak.

The KPP, however showed their mettle by launching a nationwide campaign of De-Legionification, employing some of the most brutal, but absolutely necessary tactics to root out the cancer of Kundrati fascism. They did this on their own accord, with no request for or offer of assistance from any other nation. They, in short did what the Allies failed to do at the end of the Kundrati War. It was brutal. It was probably extra legal, but it was completely necessary. The last of the Cult leaders of that horrific ideology, Legionaryism, was finally killed a mere 18 months ago after terrorizing the people of Lirnak for years.

We have been watching these developments with some interest. It now appears that, though their campaign to crush all remnants of the fascist ideology and cult of personality is ongoing, they are preparing to hold this coming election in an environment of relative tranquility and social order, a condition which has not existed in Kundrati for the better part of a century, ever since the sociopath Sladek declared war on the entire national identity of Kundrati. We will watch these elections in Kundrati, and for the first time, in a long time, it would appear that there is a spark of hope coming from that eternally cursed quarter.

We would like to emphasize: We are not currently considering removing any sanctions still in place against that Nation. They are taking the first few steps toward a better future. But Kalistan has been tricked by Kundrati before, and not so long ago as a matter of fact. Nor can we resume normal relations with a nation that continues to murder its own people, no matter how justifiable those executions may be. At the moment, we are merely in the place where the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan can simply say that we appreciate the steps they are taking to burn that horrid ideology into oblivion.

Kalistan and Kundrati, if we ever get to a point where we can make peace, have a long way to go before we can call one another friends again. The people of Kundrati have been sadly brainwashed to hate and fear Kalistan for generations. And Kalistanis legitimately have numerous grievances against the people and the Government of Kundrati, not least of which include the sinking of our 4th Fleet, the chemical gas attacks on three of our Northern Cities, including our capital, in the living memory of many Kalistani Nationals, incessant harassment, demonization and beligerence, as well as the myriad moral outrages of the Legionary regime. We will not be friends any time soon, and repair of relations will take a long time, in the off chance that they happen at all.

But we have, today, ordered our Foreign Ministry to begin exploring ways to open up to that Artanian Nation, if for no other reason than to reduce the long standing tensions between our two nations and our two continents. The Kundrati Menace is still very present. Who knows what direction the upcoming elections will go? But the Vanguard Party has been outlawed, Legionary Partisans are indeed being liquidated, and Kundrati appears to be doing what is necessary to finally take steps in the correct direction, and meet the conditions of the Allies following the ceasefire in the war, of having free elections which the Legionary deadenders cannot participate in and de-legionification of the nation.

Kalistan will not be taken in again. While we have instructed our Foreign Minister to look for possible openings toward Kundrati, we have also warned Mr. Hewlet to carefully evaluate each opportunity. We wish him to determine first and foremost whether any such opening, should it present itself, is genuine using a set of criteria including who or what is to be gained by Kundrati. Our Mother, Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis, the last Kalistani to negotiate anything with a Kundrati, has been in close consultation with our Foreign Minister to provide him her impressions, and will remain in consultation through each opportunity. She is very opposed to any talks with Kundrati on any matter. But she has been asked to provide her sober and expert judgement, and Mr. Hewlett will bring every opportunity that seems genuine to us to make the final determination on.

We said we were interested in reaching out to the World. We seek to expand upon that now. While we will do nothing to jeopardize Kalistani National Security, or the security of the Anantonese Empire, we have to extend that offer as widely as possible. We will not deal with fascists. We will certainly not deal with Legionaries. Every opening from Kundrati, following their return to domestic peace and after their De-Legionization campaign has mostly done its work, will still be taken with a very healthy dose of skepticism. But the developments in Kundrati over these last four years, have demonstrated that cynicism is no longer appropriate. If we want Kundrati to return to the community of Nations, we at some point have to let them.

Trust but verify. Kundrati has had a very long history of deceit. The full break in relations between our two nation came during the time of our great grandmother, the Kundrati Empress Carolina I Ananto. It was her mother, the Black Empress Pavlina Ananto-Hulanevek who came to this nation barely speaking a word of Vrassan, from Kundrati. Our family was estranged from that nation long before our mother was born. She was a baby when Kundrati gassed our capital. We do not forget that hateful attitude held by that nation against ours and our family specifically. Kundrati could forgive a heretic, but they could never tolerate an apostate. That bad blood, those harsh feelings will be very difficult to overcome.

But for the first time in generations, we believe it could be possible to do just that. We wish to give peace a fighting chance. We will not jump blindly into peace with them. But we will also not endure any external, international critique of our efforts by foreign nations, even our close allies, the way our own mother had to endure. It is our intention to at least try, and if we fail in the effort, at least we stood up and made the effort. And those nations who feel they need to levy complaints about the effort can politely keep their opinions to themselves. We alone determine Kalistani foreign policy: this is not some sort of weird international democracy, where other nations get a vote.

We are told that the bookmakers give any opening with Kundrati 42:1 odds of success at this point. These are, for those not familiar with longshot odds, very long indeed. We would say the book makers are being a bit generous in their determination of our chances of opening, any time in the near future, at any rate, with Kundrati. But: if they continue on their current path of rooting out the toxic ideology in their society and burning it publicly as an example to others who can be, shall we say, more peacefully convinced to change their mind, continue holding free elections which cannot be manipulated of captured by that outlaw cult, eventually restore the rule of law and end summary executions of Legionaries, and continue working to seriously repair their relations with their neighbors and the world, the long shot may just pay off.

And if that is the case, Kalistan stands to reap the benefits of our bet on peace. While there is a far greater chance that we fail, at least we will not fail as catastrophically as we did when we were at open war with Kundrati. At this point, It could go either way, but there are promising signs coming from Artanian. We are not even sure that Kundrati is now, or ever will be willing to speak with us. Despite their reforms, we still have no contact with that nation, in any form. But, perhaps it is time to move past the war. It is time to look for a chance to give Kundrati, the land of our Ancestors' births. It is our Will, and as such, is unquestionable.

With that the Emperor left the rostrum, while the Deputies stood and bowed to the departing Emperor, as per custom. As soon as he left, mayhem swept the chamber, as Deputy after Deputy attempted to gain the Speaker of the Assembly's attention for a floor speech.

The news that the new Emperor is looking for a way to start talking to Kundrati sent political shockwaves across Ananto and Kalistan. The KalSiE immediately reacted, gaining more than 4.5% on the day as money flooded into export related stocks, while rumors began to spread in Bozo River CATC that the 1st Fleet would be pre-emptively deployed in case things went south between the two nations. They are currently in their barracks at Bozo River, and the Command was compelled to secure early to pass word that there are no deployment orders coming from Naval HQ, nor is there any alert.

Early public sentiment was mixed, and broke down along generational lines: older Kalistanis nationwide were by and large against any opening toward Kundrati, and called the move everything from "stupid and shortsighted" to "dangerous to National Security," to "capitulation." Meanwhile, younger generations, especially the 18-35 demographic were more positive on the announcement. "We have been hostile toward Kundrati for decades," said one Sulari resident. "Why? What have they done in the past 40 years? I think it is worth it to take a chance on peace, especially if it gives Kalistan another partner in the world." Another said "The Emperor is part Kundrati. It makes sense he would want to try to find a way to repair relations. We repaired relations with Baltusia and Luthori. Let's keep that going..." First Glance online polls showed Kalistanis were 52% in favor of trying to find a way to establish peaceful co-existence with Kundrati.

@TheRepublic