NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: Random events thread for the Abt Republic (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Abt) for now, might evolve into something else if anyone finds an opportunity to get involved or something. Might also get to posting from the Abt puppet if I can be bothered to change log-ins all the time -.-

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Excerpts from various media

Western fighting leaves 17 dead

The ARDF has confirmed that a group of twenty combatants belonging to the Sons of the Reformation was ambushed by the 7th Jaegers Squadron and eliminated. Six terrorists were captured alive, fourteen have been killed. Three ARDF servicemen were lightly wounded in the operation.

In a separate development, SoR combatants have attacked the hamlet of Dvizhino, on the northern coast, while half of the Abt Republic Army squad garrisoned in Dvizhino was on patrol. Three People’s Militiamen were killed before ARDF paratrooper reinforcements arrived, forcing the enemy to retreat. Enemy casualties are unknown, but Army spokesman states that “SoR positions were covered in blood”. A hunt has been initiated by the ARDF.

Automatic citizenship for SoR hostages and slaves

The Duma has approved a law which grants automatic Republic’s citizenship to all hostages rescued from the Sons of the Reformation. Rescued people, however, have the right to refuse the citizenship and choose to be repatriated to an Ambaran country of their choice.

.

Government to encourage Western settlement

The Republic’s government has announced today a series of plans to develop the western reaches of Abt and stimulate migration there. The plan involves construction of an efficient transport infrastructure and founding of cities in strategically and economically important areas to act as staging point for further settlements.

The President of the Republic is expected to issue a competition call for foreign construction companies, with Danaan and Taraskovyan firms on top of the list.

Duma rejects conscript service

In a vote today the Duma has overwhelmingly rejected a law that would introduce mandatory military service in the Republic. The deputies explained that with the Danaan Guarantees of Sovereignty, the Republic has a powerful ally against any offensive from abroad.

As such, the main task of the Abt Republic Defence Force in general and the Abt Republic Army in particular remains the establishment of the Republic’s monopole on force within the Republic’s territory. The main barrier to this establishment are rogue groups such as the Sons of the Reformation and various criminal organizations that use the Abtian jungles as hide outs.

Navy sinks smuggler boats

The Abt Republic Navy has confirmed it sank three smuggler boats which refused to stop upon calls from military ships, not far from Danaan territorial waters.

“Three speed boats were sunk,” said Third Rank Captain Leonid Tarin, “a fourth one escaped into Danaan waters. The locals have been alerted.”

An ARDF parachute company has been dropped off on the coast near the place of events and has entered the forests in search for potential smuggler bases.

Population Count Hits 10’000’000 Souls

The Republic Office of the Population, Immigration and Settlement has confirmed today that the Republic’s population has hit the mark of ten million inhabitants, boosted by a large number of arriving immigrants. While the number bears testimony to the Republic’s success, it also poses a number of problems to the authorities.

”Ten million souls in two years! It is fantastic,” commented President Aorin Kelberath, “since it shows that we are a popular destination with the Taraskovyan Republican minority. However, challenges lie ahead. Currently, nine of these ten million live on the shores of the Abt Bay. Belgorod is, by far, the most populated city with its five million, with a thriving business centre and numerous skyscrapers under construction. We, thus, have a clear disbalance between the capital, the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the country.”

Indeed, with only one million souls spread over the entire Western Abt, the thick rain forests continue to rule supreme. Their dense coverage is efficiently used by smuggler rings and the Sons of Reformation for sorties against Danaan Ambara, which makes some residents of Abt fear that the Confederates will someday lose patience and just take the matter into their own hands with their own armed forces. But the ARDF High Command has dismissed any such possibility.

“The Confederates are our allies, it would be curious of them to invade us,” General-en-Chief Yury Volobokov stated. “The Defence Force and our Mercenary allies are working hard and efficiently to terminate all threat in the Abt Rainforest. But it will take some more time to eliminate all threat completely, considering the complicated topography and our small numbers.”

In the meanwhile, the government has founded the city of Vladiles in central Abt, which is to become a population centre within the area. The location is rich in minerals and, with the planned transportation infrastructure, is viable to become an industrial centre. Currently, however, the maglev and highway links between Belgorod, Port Aorin and Vladiles are under construction.

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Church Status Non Negotiable

The Presidential Office has today issued a comment on the minority calls amongst the Abtian political establishment to proclaim a full separation of Church and State and to deprive the Orthodox Church of its status as State Church. The main proponent of the idea is the Progressive Party, which is one of the minority parties in the Duma.

President Aorin Kelberath, himself a follower of Taraskath Seven Deities, has stated the following:

“The role of the Orthodox Church in the forging of our national character, it’s continued contribution to the unity of the Abtian People, even those that do not profess the Orthodox faith, cannot be underestimated. As such, I deem inappropriate any debates on the status of State Church granted to the Eparchy of Belgorod of the Vigvar Patriarchate.”

The Republican Party, which holds a plurality in the Duma and heads the majority coalition, has hailed the Presidential statement as a major step to clarifying the immutable status of the Church once and for all.

To:
His Excellency Aorin Kelberath
President of the Abt Republic

Your Excellency,

We write to you, in Christian love, to thank you for your friendship for the Orthodox faithful of your country. By having the courage and the wisdom to support the Church, and seeing in it a valuable instrument for national unity, you are an example to heads of state and government across the world. Your decision is particularly commendable in light of the fact that you are not Orthodox yourself - please rest assured that you are in the prayers and hearts of the Orthodox Christian faithful across the world.

With our thanks and regards,

STEPHANUS
Archbishop of Constantinople (New Rome) and Drakopolis
Ecumenical Patriarch

The church and the state should never be separated. It is far easier to burn down two conjoined brothels then in it is two freestanding ones. The state is nothing more then an organized murder engine and the only church that illuminates is a burning one.

-"Red Shadow" Rabinovitz, resident
Durruti Commune

Various media excerpts:

Heavy Armour for Heavy Presence

The four active service armoured battalions of the Abt Republic Defence Force have been busy redislocating to strategic points across central, southern and western Abt as to establish a firm military presence in the area and interdict any hostile terrorist movements.

The battalions, each including a dozen main battle tanks, several dozen infantry fighting vehicles and other equipment, are a clear message to any enemy of the Republic: cause trouble and face superior firepower.

Mechanised infantry separate from the armour battalions is also on the move, assisting Jaeger and Airborne troops in wiping out Sons of the Reformation presence with the Abt Rainforest.

Greens Call for Responsible Warfare

Members of various ecologist political parties and movements have called on the Republic's government to do all it can to prevent extensive damage to the Abtian Rainforests. The military, as some Green organisations indicate, takes no care for the ecology and just pounds away without any care.

The ARDF has refuted the arguments, stating that only a "minuscule portion" of the rainforest is actually place to fighting, and even then the most of the job is often done by elite infantry on the ground, without extensive use of heavy airborne or ground based ammunition.

"The Greens can complain all they want," an ARDF officer commented, choosing to remain anonymous. "But if we did not tackle the proddie fundamentalists, the Greens wouldn't even be able to go out into the jungle and assess damage. They would be kidnapped, shot, sold into slavery or worse. We are just Slavic Heretics to the Sons, worse than animals."

The Government has stated that it shall take all steps necessary to ensure the safeguarding of Abt's ecology in the midst of the ongoing anti-terrorist operation against the Sons of the Reformation.

The Confederals, for their part, weren't about to place their troop movements in the newspapers and spoil the surprise for the Sons. They did send a liason officer to the Abtians to coordinate the planned attack, which required a fair measure of communication between the two countries. He was the only Confederal Army officer involved in the operation. The Gandaran and Marlund Civil Defense Forces were equipped and trained to carry operations of this sort but were hindered by the fact that they could not coordinate with foreign forces while in Member service and could only be called into Confederal service in time of war of national emergency following the election of a Grand Marshal of the Confederation. Therefore, the Confederal Army had to play a coordinating role.

Ground troops were moved discretely into then jungle at the corner where Abt met the two Members. To avoid being conspicuous, helicopters and their crews were taken by covered rail to towns near the border and were prepared to be able to go into action within ten to twenty minutes of the beginning of combat without being seen in the air before then.

The continuing reference to the Sons as Protestant fundamentalists continued to concern many in the Confederated Peoples and the media channels involved received a politely worded letter from Ivar, the Orthodox Bishop of Lutherstadt, calling upon them to be more accurate in descriptions of organizations like the Sons, drawing their attention to the fact that the Sons advocate positions historically and wholly alien to traditional Protestantism, recommending to them a number of scholarly works available in Marlund detailing the explicit denunciation of the Sons views by the founders of all the major Protestant denominations and arguing that maintaining relationships with other religious communities as well as good relations with nations of different religious characters on the international stage required referring to the Sons more accurately, in accord with their real beliefs, rather than according to how they view themselves. The bishop recognized that Protestantism was hard to define and was usually defined simply as Christians outside the Catholic and Orthodox traditions or as Christians lacking a valid sacrament of ordination in their religious communities. This, even more than courtesy to other faiths, was the core of his objection. The Sons were not Christians in any sense or to any degree, according to Ivar, and they should not be referenced as members of any Christian tradition, even one outside the Church properly speaking.

OOC: Apparently, Jolt ate my big post to the other thread. Yay stupid moderator preview for new nations. -.- I hope it pops up someday still...

From the Belgorod Times, an English language weekly magazine which is, hopefully, firmly established on the Ambaran market:

GOVERNMENT REVEALS ARMY REFORM PLAN

The Abt Republic is growing, maybe not territorially (even if in light of the latest developments in Vasconia this might not be as true), but definitely economically and demographically. Money and people are pouring in and the Government has to invest accordingly. Establish new settlements, provide infrastructure, public services, create a competitive business market, attract investments, and defend the Republic’s sovereignty. The Abt Republic Defence Force has been created with that last goal in mind. And in an evolving country, the military must also evolve and create a long term structure.

If the Republic is to be a player on the international scene and not satisfy itself with the role of a cosy little garden lost in a corner of the world, it shall have to establish an armed force capable of operations at home or abroad, alone or in support of allied forces. In the modern world, cunning diplomacy and dynamic economy go hand in hand with the capacity to strike hard and fast to defend one’s national interests.

An Army from scratch

The Abt Republic Defence Force was initially created “with what we had at the time”. The core of the Defence Force was formed from Taraskovyan veterans and former servicemen that accepted to delay their entry into a fully civilian life by providing the basis for an Abtian own armed force. Aircraft and ships were purchased and an Air Force and a Navy were created to boost Abtian defences.

The People’s Militia came to be spontaneously as settlers sought to protect their homes from the Sons of the Reformation. But the long term survival of the Militia as a cohesive structure made of a myriad of units is largely due to the intelligent management of Brigadier Anton Golovlev. This member of the General Staff sought not to dismantle the local militias, but to incorporate them into the Defence Force. And it worked, as Army and Militia cooperated in a complete synergy to defeat and exterminate the terrorist organization.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Namellar/GDT/Abt/ARDFsoldiers.jpg
Above: Abtian soldiers secure a settlement after
fighting off a SoR assault. Conventional assaults
by the terrorists were widespread in the early
phases of the conflict as the organization
sought to profit from the weaknesses of the
newly founded Republic.

And as the interior enemy number one was no more, came about the question: what next? The ARDF was a meager force, despite impressive number of units at first sight. A total of twelve brigades in the Army alone, of which eight on active duty. However, on a closer look the smallness of the Abtian armed forces was apparent. Hardly any battalion exceeded four hundred men as the expanse of the Republic’s territory demanded a great number of professional military units capable of independent action (brigades) to be able to cope.

The People’s Militia alone, due to its limited range of action and light armament, could not be expected to defend the country alone without the Army’s heavy fire support. In the first years of Abt’s existence, manpower was lacking to fill in the blanks as few signed up for the Army, mostly preferring to enroll into their local Militia.

Towards a new Army structure

Today, the population is increasing at breathtaking rates and the country’s infrastructure is rapidly expanding, powering the economy. Abt has more people and more money and all of this requires protection, which can be attained by two ways: arranging for an allied power to cater for the Republic’s defence or establish an own powerful military force. The former solution is hardly acceptable to any Abtian, as it would put a cross on their dreams of independence and sovereignty and go against the very idea behind the Republic, that of a sovereign land free from any master.

As such, the Republic finds itself with the need for a modern, hi-tech and flexible force. Abtian military experts have been working on the problem of the reorganization of the Army for quite some time now. The goal is to create a structure which shall allow for an augmentation of the armed forces to allow an effective integration of the latter into a context of positive demographics and important population increase.

The revealed plan shall create a Division-Brigade structure for the Army, with modular brigades being the basis of the every day activities of the army and capable of independent action. However, a Division-level command and logistics element shall make possible involving whole divisions in the field within minimal time. A total of seven divisions shall be created: an Armoured, two Infantry, a Mountain, an Airborne and two Reserve Divisions. The Army Aviation Corps shall be split between the divisions.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Namellar/GDT/Abt/1stArmourS.png
Above: the possible structure of the 1st Armoured “Horugv Bearers”
Division. One can note the introduction of the Division’s
Command and Support Regiment, as well as the subordination
of an aviation brigade to the Division.

The public release of the plan only features general guidelines and overview of the units to come and does not give detailed information as to the composition of each division. However, it appears clear that battalions shall be increased to an average of 700 men and shall now include more diversified units than before. Furthermore, each division shall include a broad spectre of brigades, namely that the armoured division (whose name has been revealed as “Horugv* Bearers”) shall include two ground assault brigades, one infantry brigade and one air brigade. There are plans to reinforce the future division with a tank regiment. The infantry divisions shall include one Ground Assault Brigade, three Infantry Brigades and an Air Brigade. The composition of the Mountain Division and the Airborne Division have not been revealed. The Reserve Division, according to the plan, is similar in structure to an infantry division.

The new Ground Assault Brigades shall be similar to the current ones, but with two tank battalions instead of one and two mechanized infantry battalions instead of two. Additionally, a self-propelled artillery, an armoured reconnaissance and a combat engineers battalions shall be part of the brigade. The four active duty ground assault brigades shall bear the names of their respective founding tank battalions (1st Lion, 2nd Leopard, 3rd Tiger, 4th Panther).

Infantry brigades shall see the number of battalions lessened as the size of every battalion is beefed. Tracked infantry fighting vehicles shall also pass on to the ground assault brigades, with infantry equipped with wheeled armoured personnel carriers. However, each brigade shall also have a reconnaissance, a self-propelled artillery and a combat engineers battalions.

Concerning equipment, the ARDF has decided to not use Taraskovyan military personal combat outfits and shall opt fully in favour of a domestically produced variant. The Abtian suits are lighter and cost less than their Taraskovyan counterparts, while offering sufficient protection. The rejection of the heavier Taraskovyan suits is explained by the fact that Abt does not face the same ennemies as Taraskovya and, thus, does not need the same fire power and protection for its troops as enjoyed by a Taraskovyan soldier. But many analysts cite financial reasons and a desire to reach consensus between latest technology and monetary restraints. Abtian soldiers that have served with the TNDF do deem that a heavier suit would not hurt, but that the current ones "offer enough protection considering the potential ennemies of Abt".

Independent or consorted action

The new structure of the Army is not the sole innovation of the reform plan. The Air Force and the Navy shall also be reorganized. In the latter, the Marine Infantry Regiment shall be beefed up to form a full Brigade, capable of amphibious assault on an important scale against enemy coastal areas. The new Marine Infantry Brigade shall, thus, see a full tank battalion added. Furthermore, new amphibious assault and escort ships are to be foreseen for the Navy.

The People’s Militia shall be left largely untouched, even if some streamlining is to be foreseen for organizational purposes and better integration of the various regional units. However, and unlike what many expected, the People’s Militiamen shall not be obligated to carry out service in parts of the country far from their place of residence.

The plan clearly aims to bring the Abt Republic Defence Force to a higher standard of operational capacity. The plan does not exclude possible Abtian action in a consortium with friendly regional powers. While not naming any potential enemy, one can think of the latest incident in New Rome and a great possibility of Allanean involvement in the terrorist attack. Officially, Abt has remained outside the event, but non officially many deem that this was done not as much due to Belgorod’s dislike of Andrium (and, by extension, of New Rome), but due to the Republic’s incapacity to provide any substantial military aid. At the time of the event, the ARDF could only put forward the Marine Infantry Regiment with its one and a half thousand servicemen. By contrast, the new Marine Infantry Brigade shall align five thousand personnel.

The first results of the reorganization are expected within the coming weeks as the disparate brigades are organized into Divisions. The complete reorganization and augmentation of the battalions shall not be effective before several months at least.

_______________________________________________________

* Horugv: a banner with religious content, mostly in use with the Orthodox Church (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Taraskovyan_Church). Ros military formations (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Ros) used such banners for battle flags. A great number of Taraskovyan units uses a horugv as banner to this very day.

From the Abtian Broadcasting Corporation, an English language news media with TV and online outlets:

ABTIAN RECRUITS DIE IN MOUNTAINS

An avalanche in western Abt has killed eleven Army recruits, the Abt Republic Defence Force (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Abt_Republic_Defence_Force) has told the ABC.

An entire squad of recruits training to become part of Abt’s elite 4th Mountain Division (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/4th_Mountain_Division_(Abt)) was lost after the avalanche struck on the northern flank of the Adler mountain, not far from the Abt Republic’s border with the Confederal member state of Thorlund. The men had scaled about 3,800m of the 4,158m peak when the accident occurred at 1000 Belgorod Time. The team was said to be on a routine exercise following a well explored and extensively used route.

Unexplored

Parts of the Sahori Range, which runs in the middle of Ambara splitting the continent in two, remain unexplored and little known to the Abtian authorities. However, Abtian Defence Ministry spokesman Katherin Ugric has told the ABC that the recruits were following a route explored, studied and mapped out for the purpose of military training.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Namellar/GDT/Abt/1566.png
Parts of the Sahori Range remain a mystery

“If there is a mountain we know, or at least thought we knew, it’s the Adler,” she stated.

The recruits were part of the Abt Republic Army (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Abt_Republic_Defence_Force#Abt_Republic_Army) and on their eigth week of specialized mountain training, having completed the two months of basic army training and were well equipped.

“The avalanche struck while the recruits were scaling a steep slope as part of their alpinist training,” Katherin Ugric commented. “They were hurled down the mountain into a gorge. Their combat suits could do nothing for them.”

The bodies of all eleven servicemen were recovered by the rescuers.

Thorough Investigation

Major General Alexander Obolensky, commanding officer of the 4th Mountain Division, has expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims and has promised that the units under his command would put every effort into a thorough investigation, an investigation which has already been ordered by the Defence Ministry.

In the meantime, Brigadier Arthur Vazin, in charge of the ARDF’s mountain infantry training, has accepted personal responsibility for the tragedy and offered to step down. This was refused by the General Staff, which maintained the Brigadier in his position pending the results of the investigation

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Namellar/GDT/Abt/8345.png
Major General Obolensky promised to leave “no stone unturned”

“We shall discover whether this was due to a human error or nature’s will,” Katherin Ugric stated. “We shall correct any deficiencies if it was a human error.”

“We shall leave no stone unturned,” agreed Major General Obolensky. “But the Mountain is an environment to be reckoned with, it is a hostile environment.”

The funeral services for the eleven recruits shall be held in the coming days in their respective towns and villages. They are the first Abtian casualties since the end of the War of Establishment.

OOC: I consider the moves described in this article to happen after the President returned from the Confederation empty handed. The claim is also for the "five unclaimed islands" as specified in other threads and posts, as I have no idea how many islands in total there are, as only TRD knows such things :o

______________________________________________

From the Abtian Broadcasting Corporation, an English language news media with TV and online outlets:

ABTIAN CLAIM TO VASCONIA

The Republic of Abt has issued an official claim to all the yet unclaimed islands of the Vasconian gulf, a declaration of intent followed by precise actions on the ground. The move followed the Confederal withdrawal from the area and denial of all responsibility for the territories in question.

It was only a matter of hours, judging by the official description of the operation. First, through diplomatic channels notifications were dispatched to the governments in and around the Vasconian Gulf. The Government has invoked the so-called “Tartarian precedent” and then it immediately moved to officially and solemnly raise its flag on the larger islands with an extension of claim to outlaying islets and rocks. The controversial action by the Abtian authorities shall surely not go without dire diplomatic consequences for the Republic, as other regional powers shall see the move as anything from hostile to outright aggressive.

However, the Abtian public appears to be overwhelmingly in favour of the government’s actions, citing the need to shield the Republic from any further encroachment in the region by “dictatorial powers”. In a related development, the Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Taraskovyan Ambassador to communicate him an official protest after his recent statement during a press conference that the Taraskovyan Empire saw no reason not to recognize the Tartarian claim. The event is a first dent in until now cordial relations between the Republic and it’s mother country and many analysts expect a great dent in relations with the Confederated Peoples.

This said, as no other State moved to stake a claim in the area, the region’s smallest nation has seized an opportunity to not only secure it’s northern flanks, but also to expand its territory. How this opportunism is greeted by others remains to be seen.

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES
23 May 2008 (Yellow - Subject to revision)
Citation: Pantocratorian Ambara, Parliamentary Debates, vol. no. 4, 23 May 2008, Yellow

SPEAKER: The Member for South Andrium.

Mme THISAULT: Thank you, Monsieur l'Orateur. My question is to the Premier. What is the Government's position on the recent territorial claims made by the Abtian Republic in the Gulf of Vasconia? Does the Premier plan to challenge the claims?

MEMBERS: Hear! Hear!

SPEAKER: Order! Monsieur le Premier.

M. FONTAINBLEU: Thank you, Monsieur l'Orateur, and I thank the Member for South Andrium for her question. Monsieur l'Orateur, I must make it very plain - it was the position of the Government of Pantocratorian Ambara, then a Socialist Government, Monsieur l'Orateur, upon the initial establishment of the Abtian Republic that further territorial claims by the Republic of Abt not be made in a unilateral fashion. That was a responsible position, a bipartisan position, and one entirely endorsed by the Christian Democrats. It remains the position of the Ambaran Christian Democrat Government. I suspect and I hope, Monsieur l'Orateur, that it will remain the position of the Opposition, because I regard it, Monsieur l'Orateur, as an issue which should unite all members of this legislature in the common interest of the security of our colony.

Monsieur l'Orateur, let me make it very plain that Pantocratorian Ambara regards the Tartarian so-called precedent as a dismal one. I oppose all annexation of unclaimed territory in Ambara and the Gulf of Vasconia as contrary to the interests of peace and security of our peoples on this continent. The Government does not regard the Tartarian annexations as comprising any manner of precedent. The Government does not regard their being cited as a precedent by the Abtians as making their most recent territorial claims legitimate.

In answer to the second part of the Member's question, I have just, before coming to this place, called Chancellor Drapeur, presently in Aerion, and called upon Pantocratoria to bring up the matter at the Western Atlantic Summit. I have further instructed the Minister for External Affairs to draft a formal objection to the annexation. I have recommended to His Excellency the Governor that he commission a review of Pantocratorian Ambara's defence and national security. After the legislature has risen for luncheon, I have a meeting scheduled with the Colonial Defence Council, at which the issue will be discussed with a view to its impact on our national security. I must stress that the Government does not seek any military solution or any other aggressive action in response to the situation. We seek to ameliorate our defences, Monsieur l'Orateur, given this additional complication.

The Confederated Peoples recognized the claim without comment.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e221/Xirnium/letterhead_foreign.png
Provisional Governmental Communiqué – Minister of Cabinet for Foreign Affairs

Authorised by:

The Right Honourable the Lady Eléanor zy Sabelinà the Countess of House Numêsalquó
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Eternal Republic of Xirnium

It is the considered opinion of the Government of the Eternal Republic that the islands sometimes refered to as Actadeos, Bolarctand, Castaseos, Danysona, Ebaea, Germuarya and Lithanius, since time immemorial beyond the limits of any national jurisdiction, represent today territory and resources available to all humanity under the principles of the common heritage of humankind and res communis and not subject to unilateral territorial acquisition. This position is one consistent with the evolution of the customary international law which has occurred in recent decades and is conceptually analogous to the legal rules and principles that regulate customary rights and obligations with respect to the deep seabed of the high seas, outer space, and Antarctica.

In applying the customary principle of common heritage to the aforementioned islands, the Government of the Eternal Republic points to the existence of a near-universal state practice amongst the international community in refraining from making any new claims to sovereignty over the uninhabited territories until the question of sharing the use and exploitation of their resources can be dealt with in a final and equitable manner through the multilateral discussion of concerned Governments. This mostly uniform conduct of abstention by Governments evidences the opinion necessitates juris and confirms the legal rule.

The Government of the Eternal Republic regards the aforementioned islands as territories which are subject to communal ownership and control, and are hence res communis and not amenable to state sovereign title or rights. The Government of the Eternal Republic refuses to recognise any of the recent unilateral claims made by the Government of the Republic of Abt in defiance of the principle of uti possidetis, and furthermore condemns its actions as in flagrant disregard of the will of the international community. The general rule of international law is that a succeeding state is bound to respect the frontiers established by the prior imperial administration. These have never included the islands unilaterally claimed by the Government of the Republic of Abt.

The Government of the Eternal Republic also expresses the gravest concern over the recognition of the unilateral claims by the Government of the Resurgent Dream. It sets a terrible and needless precedent and foolishly risks overturning the entire system of consensus-based international affairs. The Government of the Eternal Republic asks that it be withdrawn at once.

[Signed]

Her Ladyship and Serene Grace
The Right Honourable the High Well Born the Most Noble and Puissant Princess
Lady Eléanor zy Sabelinà the Countess of House Numêsalquó
Minister of Cabinet for Foreign Affairs and Member of the High Court of Parliament

OOC: I shall ignore the "Antarctica" comment as in my little world, I pretty much indirectly own a huge chunk of it through a Taraskovyan-Angstian protectorate over a former ally who went bewm. As such, and to not create IC universe rifts, I shall just refrain from the subject :o


ABT REPUBLIC
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Namellar/GDT/Abt/AbtMFA.png

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Official Statement
by the
Abt Republic
on the
Republic’s Vasconian Claim

The Republic of Abt, as a sovereign State and party and actor to the international processes political, diplomatic, legal and others, has extended its authority over the isles hereby known as Bolarctand, Castaseos, Danysona, Ebaea and Germuarya, in addition to an earlier extension of authority over Actadeos. The move has caused a certain negative reaction from amongst other regional powers. The Republic’s position shall be resumed in the following five points:

I. Adherence to customary principles of international customs that establishes sovereign States as primary actors and parties to all processes.
The very essence of international order relies on the basis of sovereign relations in between States. And whilst recent changes in doctrine and jurisprudence have sought to include also international organizations and even private individuals, none have so far sought to grant uninhabited and unclaimed territories the quality of party and actor to any processes that might concern it. As such, “empty land” has no other legal status other than that of terra nullius, territory that may be annexed, established a protectorate over or any other action or means that shall place the territory in question under the authority of a State in the sense of international customs.

II. The res communis principle is applicable within a State or group of States, not outside all notion of State.
Res communis is the synonym of public domain. Public domain can concern either intellectual property rights, either resources or areas under the Public Authority of a State, as opposed to the private ownership of land by a physical or legal person. A territory without lord or master is terra nullius, open for any master to claim as his own. Once claimed, the exact modalities regulating the administration of the territory may be varied. The territory may pass into the direct and unlimited administration of a State, in which case there shall be a clear case of annexation. The territory may pass under the protective umbrella of the State, in which case one can speak of a protectorate. The territory may pass under the joint ownership and administration of several States, in which case a condominium arrangement is worked out in between the parties to the process. In all of this cases, the territories can become res communis, either inside one State, or between a group of States, subject to the arrangements worked out by the States in question.

III. Once shattered, a territorial status quo ante is impossible to restore without the extension of State or international (group of States) authority over the territories in question.
The status of the Vasconian Isles was reviewed in a dramatic fashion by the Tartarian unilateral claim to the isle of Lithanius, which has brought to light an absence of any legal arrangements for the joint administration of the area by a State or group of States. As a result of this, the status quo in effect until the moment of the Tartarian claim was completely voided. The Abt Republic then proceeded to establish a claim to the isle of Actadeos, as the Confederated Peoples moved in to establish a de facto extension of their authority as a State to the remaining Bolarctand, Castaseos, Danysona, Ebaea and Germuarya. As a result of these actions, the Vasconian gulf has come under the State authority of three sovereign States: the Tartarian Empire, the Abt Republic and the Confederated Peoples of the Resurgent Dream. The situation, however, changed after the Confederated Peoples renounced their de facto claim over the five aforementioned isles and surrounding islets and rocks and, thus, opened the territories in question to the establishment of another State’s authority over them.

IV. Adherence to the principle of non-violent resolution of international conflicts.
The Abt Republic shall not use force to resolve any international conflict. For this, the Republic maintains open diplomatic relations with its neighbours and other States, listens to concerns raised by its partners on the regional and global stages and seeks to find a solution amenable to all sides in the dispute.

V. Legimate right of self-defence.
The very point of the Republic’s existence is to promote the wellbeing of its citizens, maintain the Republic’s sovereignty and independence and authority over territories under its jurisdiction. In this, the Republic has many tools at its disposal, from authorities of civilian administration to law enforcement structures. Finally, there is the Abt Republic Defence Force. As the national military of the Republic, the ARDF’s tasks are to protect the territorial integrity of the Republic, its sovereignty, the stability of the nation, the wellbeing of Abtian citizens in the face of an exterior and, in cases defined by Law, interior enemies. The ARDF is a defensive tool and the ultima ratio that the Republic has if it comes under attack or sees its sovereignty violated and needs to act out of self-defence.

In conclusion, the Republic reiterates the legitimacy of the extension of Abtian authority over the isles in question. It also expresses its gratitude for the pragmatic stance of the Confederated Peoples of the Resurgent Dream on the issue.

OOC: I am far too braindead for a newspost. So...

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