Press Coverage of the Messelia Summit

Fabio Cantanella was relatively young, so young in fact that he was still a communications student at the Royal University of Messelia. Yet, he had been an intern at the Gazzetta di Messelia for a full year already, and had impressed the editors so much that he had been recently hired to work full time in the political section of the newspaper. He had risen fast, and made sure to let all his friends know -all in good jest, obviously-, but it had still been a surprise, a major one, when his boss assigned him to the team that would cover the Messelia Summit.

Given the recent leadership changes in Selene and Parthenopias, the member states of the Artemian Union -the alliance formed by several democratic powers and led by the victors of the Peninsular War- had decided to meet in Messelia, the Sartorian capital, to discuss the issues of the day. Unlike most of the day-to-day meetings that the Union organised, this one involved the heads of government of the various member states, a higher profile event that attracted much interest in the press.

It was an even bigger surprise when he received his press credentials, which accredited as a member of the press and granted him access to the Palazzo Malzo and its surrounding area, part of which would be closed to the general public. That had been quite exciting, but he could barely contain himself the morning of June 4, when he received an email from the Foreign Office, sharing the final agenda for the Summit.

From: Roberta Scirano [[email protected]]
To: Fabio Cantanella [[email protected]]
Date: 04 June 2017 at 08:35
Subject: Agenda for the Special Heads of Government Summit

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Dear Sir/Madam,

Please find attached the agenda for the Special Heads of Government Summit, which will be held on 05 and 06 June 2017. Please email [email protected] or approach the Foreign Office Help Desk located in the Press Centre for any questions on this agenda.

Yours faithfully,

Roberta Scirano
Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Foreign Office
Principality of Sartoria

He was supposed to be at the Gazzetta at 05AM. They would be taken by bus to the Palazzo Malzo, with plenty of time to spare until the heads of government started to arrive. Then, it would be his time to shine.

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Marta Pezzaloni was standing in the Press Centre, near the Palazzo Malzo. As always, it was the Palazzo was a breathtaking sight, but she had to focus on her job. She was reviewing notes with Fabio, the young reporter who had been assigned to her team, after rave reviews from the editors during his internship. Based on his performance this morning, she could not disagree. He had been the first to arrive at the Gazzetta, was quick to prepare a brief about the main attendants to the summit, and was quite knowledgeable on each of them. He was giving her immensely valuable information, even some pieces that she, an experienced correspondent, had yet to know, or had long forgotten. She made a mental note to give her good reviews at the next correspondents meeting, after the summit.

She was facing the cameras, the Palazzo behind her, and someone in her team signaled that they were ready. To tell the truth, she was an anchor, but had requested to be assigned as a correspondent for the summit. It had been a while since she had been a site reporter, but she knew the drill. She corrected her posture, looked at the camera, and as soon as the light turned on, started speaking.

“We stand outside the Palazzo Malzo, where the leaders of the Artemian Union are gathering in a special summit, called a mere week ago, following the election of new heads of government in Selene and Parthenopias. Earlier this morning, First Councillor Valerio stood outside the Palazzo, greeting the attending heads of government, then accompanying the final one inside. They are now holding a private meeting in the Privy Hall, where the Privy Council usually meets, to discuss issues and policies that are relevant to the Union."

She heard a voice in her ear, the news anchor asking her about the agenda for the summit.

“Thus far the official agenda only deals in generalities, mentioning items like ‘foreign threats’ and ‘mutual cooperation’, but sources close to the Palazzo indicate that the focus during the morning half of today’s session will be on Edward Yutan, the Soltek Leader, and Nicolina Anselmetti, the Grand Commander of Kalos. Mr Yutan recently issued a threat to the international community, and Ms. Anselmetti recently ascended to the position, defeating Commander Constantine Lambros in the process. This afternoon, the focus will turn to cooperation within the Artemian Union, namely the space programme, the expansion of educational exchanges and the continued development of renewable energy.”

Another question, this time about any access the press might have to the meetings.

“Most of the proceedings will be closed to the press. Until yesterday, the only events open to the press were the taking of the family photo and the signing ceremony. While the Foreign Office and the Palazzo have assured us that those arrangements will remain, heightened security measures are expected, in response to today´s attack in Parthenopias.”

Marta was thanked for her worked, and the transmission was off. She thanked the crew, and turned to give special thanks to Fabio, who had, somehow, got information on the actual agenda for the summit. She turned to the Palazzo. Even if she knew what issues they were discussing in there, she wished she could see the discussion.

Roberta Scirano entered the bustling room holding a thing folder, followed by some members of her staff. She walked confidently until she reached the podium, placed the folder on it, then looked at all the reporters, never showing any nervousness. As the Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the Foreign Office, it was often her job to lead the press conferences during summits and similar events. In accordance with the agenda, the leaders were now having lunch, having finished their morning session, so she had been directed to provide a brief summary of the discussions and answer questions from the press.

“Good morning everyone, and thank you for being here. I will first read a short statement, and will then take questions.” She opened the folder, and looked at the paper on top. “This morning, the heads of government of the Artemian Union held a thorough and productive discussion on foreign policy and global threats. They assessed recent incidents, including the threats issued by Soltek Leader Edward Yutan and the recent terrorist attack in Parthenopias, among others, and discussed common courses of action in the face of such threats, to ensure safety for the member states of the Union and the world.”

She closed the folder. “I will now take questions.”

“Will there be a statement on the attack in Parthenopias?”

“The Foreign Office has prepared a statement, which should be issued early this afternoon. If you are referring to a statement by the heads of government, it’s possible, but such a determination will be made in due course.”

“Is there any information on the attacker?”

“The investigation on attack in Parthenopias is being handled by Parthenopian authorities. There will be coordination with them, but until the circumstances change, this is an ongoing investigation, and we will not comment on the specifics.”

“Recently Nicolina Anselmetti ascended to Grand Commander of Kalos. Will there be any change to Union policy with regards to Kalos?”

“We are cautious about the ascention of Grand Commander Anselmetti. Her policies are different to those of her predecessors, but Kalos has been a longtime adversary and, consequently, our policies towards them will remain until we see a chance in Kalos’ attitude towards us.”

“Does that mean that there will be no thaw or dialogue?”

“The Artemian Union has always been open to dialogue with Kalos. But we are also aware of the realities of the situation, and a true change in our relationship will only be possible once Kalos commits itself to a good faith integration into the international community.”

“What will be the response to the threat issued by Edward Yutan?”

“The heads of government had a thorough discussion on the threat issued by Mr Yutan. They agree that such rhetoric is unacceptable and dangerously close to the kind of behavior that could lead to armed conflict. What the actual response is, including any sanctions or further punitive actions that may be imposed, will be detailed in the Messelia Declaration.”

“So there will be sanctions?”

“The imposition of sanctions, or lack thereof, will be detailed in the Messelia Declaration.”

“With the attacks here in Sartoria, in Alexra and now in Parthenopias, is any steps be taken to contain the rise in terrorism?”

“I will not comment on the incidents in Sartoria; those have been handled by local law enforcement, and to my knowledge, they have not been classified as terrorist acts. To your broader point, we take terrorism very seriously, and will take all necessary steps, within the law, to ensure that everyone is safe and certain in their ability to live without fear. Terrorism was indeed discussed this morning, and what steps need to be taken, they will be taken."

“Sources in Fornoire say the King has closed off his palace. Can you comment on that?”

The King of Fornoire has every right to open or close the gates to his palace as he sees fit. Based on that report alone, we see no reason to be concerned."

“Can you comment on the new Prime Minister of Selene and Archon of Parthenopias, and how they have interacted with the other heads of government?”

“They have interacted very well. All heads of government are very experienced and dedicated people, and share a deep care for the progress of their countries. Their discussions have been very productive, and we have no doubt that they will develop a positive chemistry in time.”

To her right, an aide signaled that they had to go, to prepare for the afternoon session. “I will take one more question.”
“Can you confirm the contents of the discussion for the afternoon session?”

As the public record confirms, the discussion for the afternoon session will be focused on mutual cooperation and development initiatives. Beyond that, I would encourage you to attend our press briefing later today, for a more thorough description of the discussion. Thank you all.”

Leaks were not uncommon, but she had worked hard to keep the full agenda private, as she had been instructed to do. She wondered who had been the lucky reported who first got it.

Roberta faced again the press, from the podium. She had another folder this time around, with the notes on the afternoon session. Just like before, she would first read a summary of the session, and then she would take questions from the press. Everyone was quiet, eager to hear what she had to say, so she braced herself, and went on with it.

“Good afternoon, and thank you again for being here. Just like this morning, I will read a short statement, and will then take questions.” She looked at the summary. “This afternoon, the heads of government discussed the various cooperation initiatives that are being developed within the framework of the Artemian Union. Most prominent were the various educational exchanges and scholarship programmes, and the progress made on the Green Initiative, the Green Development Goals and several other sustainable development programmes.” A short pause. “With that in mind, I will take some questions.”

“How is the progress with the Green Initiative?”

“We are very pleased with the progress that has been made. Here in Sartoria, the eolic and solar energy industries have grown at double digits for the ninth consecutive year, and we have data on similar results in our fellow member states. We are confident that the Iniciative, and most importantly the Green Development Goals, will be met, and hopefully we will ensure fully clean and renewable energy for future generations.”

“Will the Goals be reviewed, if they are met before 2025?”

“Sartoria is definitely open to reviewing the goals, should we reach them before 2025. It’s still too soon to say that we will, but our progress is very encouraging. At the very least, we will reach the goals within the time limit.”

“Part of the scandal that affected the previous Selenid government was the misuse of funds meant for international exchanges and scholarships. Will there be stricter controls on how those funds are used?”

“The heads of government had a discussion on the situation with the Passolides Scholarship, and they agreed that stricter controls are necessary. It’s possible that a commission will be formed to propose changes to the current system, but nothing is set in stone yet.”

“Has there been any progress in the elimination of student visas?”

“Sartoria is committed to the elimination of student visas within the Artemian Union. Already we have taken the unilateral step of eliminating the visa requirement for stays up to a semester, which form the bulk of student exchanges, and we look forward to a more comprehensive discussion among the foreign and education officials of the various member states.”

“Are there any concerns that relaxing visa policies will facilitate terrorism across borders?”

“Terrorists will always try to find a way, that doesn’t mean we should stop all our progress. We will continue to work towards a free and open international community, and part of that involves the relaxation of intra-Union visa policies. There will still be abundant security checks at all entry ports, but thus far, in the opinion of all our security experts, the relaxation of visa policies will not have a negative effect on our internal security.”

“Recently Sartoria launched a weather satellite on its own. Will the Artemian Space Agency will work as a single entity, or will the various member states work on their own?”

“We don’t believe both are mutually exclusive. Sartoria is committed to having a strong and technologically advanced Space Office, yet we still are very much committed to working with our Union partners to ensure that projects of a larger scope remain under the purview of the Artemian Space Agency.”

“Was that discussed this afternoon?”

“Yes. The heads of government have agreed to continue supporting the Agency, including the various programmes for the exploration of the space beyond Low Artemian Orbit. There has been fantastic progress in both the manned and unamanned projects, and we are confident that, with a boost in funding, we will have a manned test later this year, and hopefully a proper launch next year. An increase in funding will also allow us to continue supporting the unmanned exploration of the outer system, which is a major goal of the Agency.”

Again, a sign from an aide, indicating that they would be late for the welcome dinner. “Alright, one final question.”

“Are you sure we can’t go to the dinner?”

She smiled, as the others chuckled. “Sorry folks, I don’t make the rules. Thank you for being here, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Palazzo Malzo
Office of the Press Secretary

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For Immediate Release [float=right]06 June 2017[/float]

Remarks by the First Councillor on the Signing of the Messelia Declaration

Good morning.

I want to thank you all for being here, and I especially want to thank the leaders standing beside me for coming to Messelia. We have had two days of very productive discussions, delving into issues of critical importance to our countries and to the world, and I can't think of world leaders with such tenacity, academic interest and breadth of knowledge as my fellow heads of government. I want to mention in particular Archon Antari of Parthenopias and Prime Minister Dimitriou of Selene. They were recently elected to their respective positions, and it has been fantastic to have them here, despite their obviously busy agendas. In the past two days, they have proven to be world class leaders, and it has been a pleasure to work with them. I have no doubt that we will be able to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship among our countries, and also continue to strengthen the role of the Artemian Union within our world.

We have gathered here to sign the Messelia Declaration, the result of two days of thorough discussions on our part, and even harder work on the part of our respective teams and staff. We discussed issues of foreign policy, global threads, mutual cooperation and various development initiatives. There have obviously been differences in our individual positions, and that's completely natural: each of us represents a country with its own priorities and goals, and our Union is strengthened with those differences. However, we still have overwhelming overlap in our views, and were able to confirm our commitment to various ongoing initiatives. The Messelia Declaration is the result of those coincidence, and it's our public statement of intent to continue to build on them, obviously individually, but most importantly, jointly as members of the Artemian Union.

Before I take questions, I will elaborate on what the declaration actually contains.

Our initial focus was on foreign policy and global threats. We strongly condemn the threats of Soltek Leader Edward Yutan. It is our belief that the international community should present a unified front against any such threats, regardless of who issues them, and the Union intends to play a key leadership role in that regard. We are also concerned about the role that Fydoria is playing in Arizixilega. There's a fine line between foreign assistance and foreign intervention into the sovereign affairs of a country, and we want to ensure that said line is not crossed. We urge Fydoria to engage with the international community to ensure that all actions to stabilise Arizixilega are the result of a broad international consensus.

With respect to the ascension of Nicolina Anselmetti as Grand Commander of Kalos, we prefer to exercise restraint at this point. There have been some encouraging signs, and we will pay close attention to those, but Kalos has long acted as an adversary to the Artemian Union, and until there is a genuine and good faith effort to ease tensions, we have no option but to be careful. We do encourage Grand Commander Anselmetti to make a clean break and do right by the international community, but the decision must come from her.

We also condemn terrorism in all its form, and give our sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the recent attacks in Alexra and Parthenopias. These actions, these horrific attacks, are unacceptable in any civilised society, and we have agreed to increase cooperation between our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure that critical information and best practices are shared in a timely manner. There should not be any further attacks, and we will work together, within the confines of the law and a free society, to ensure that peace, prosperity and democracy remain the foundational blocks of our Union.

In terms of mutual cooperation and development initiatives, yesterday afternoon we had a most productive discussion, and reached several important agreements. I must thank my fellow heads of government for their contributions, and for their interest in issues that will make a tangible difference in our respective countries.

We have agreed that education is of paramount importance, and initiatives like the Global Education Programme and the Passolides Scholarship are key elements in our common education strategy, and should be strengthened. In terms of the Passolides Scholarship, we do recognise the seriousness of the accusations against the former administration in Selene. Prime Minister Dimitriou has informed us that he committed to handling the issue in a professional manner, and we have agreed to develop stronger oversight mechanisms, so that funds are adequately used for actual education initiatives. It is important to clarify that, this incident notwithstanding, our educational programmes are still strong and functioning, and where improvements can be made, they will be made.

There is also a commitment to the continued development of renewable energies and the implementation of green policies, through the Green Initiative and in pursuance of the Green Development Goals. We all remain committed to reducing emissions to the agreed upon levels by 2025, and are open to revising that goal, should we meet it at an earlier date. That also means encouraging innovation and STEAM education, so our future generations have the tools and the knowledge to implement future green policies and ensure that the planet is safe for humanity. Based on our progress thus far, I am proud to say that the Artemian Union will become a leader in the green revolution, and an example for other countries to follow.

Finally, we agreed that it is important to support the Artemian Space Agency. Currently it is developing the Aetos Project and the Outer Space Exploration Missions, two revolutionary initiatives, and we need to provide public and material support to them. We have committed to increasing funding for the Agency, and directing the resources of our individual space agencies to the pursuance of both initiatives. It is our goal that we will have a manned test for the Aetos Project later this year, and a launch for the Outer Space Exploration Missions in the next available transfer window. These missions, meant to explore our universe and develop useful technologies, are immensely important and will impact life on Artemia in inimaginable ways, and will continue to receive our full support.

We will meet again, as scheduled, later this year in Parthenopias, where we will review our progress on all these goals, and set new ones, if applicable.

With that, I will be taking questions, and should they be so inclined, my fellow heads of government are also invited to answer any questions that are asked.