The Grand Parliament Building, 17:30
The largest gathering of some of the most powerful individuals in the Seven Republics occurred in a single gargantuan room, all centered around the speaker's podium that was in use during the First Insular Congress over two hundred years ago. Naturally, when hundreds of people are gathered in a rather tight space they tend to produce a large quantity of noise, so much so that Grand Chancellor Henn's attempt to quite the crowd with the Congressional gavel was a failure. Resorting to the speaker system with appropriate microphone embedded along the siding of the podium and hidden from the view of most in the most and in the media space provided, he announced, "The Second Insular Congress of the Seven Republics shall come to order. Would the secretary please mark the roster as full attendance?"
Sitting off to the side of the podium but close enough to have to shield his ears from the hard pounding of the gavel, he nodded and made the appropriate marks on the paper sitting in front of him. Some shuffling occurred and the typewriter was brought before his fingers, ready to type whatever words were to come out of a soul in the room.
"Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Delegates of this esteemed Congress, I am proud to announce the formation of the Northern Sea Alliance, between the Seven Republics, the Adler Republic, and the Drakhmani State. Our purpose for this alliance is to safeguard the interests of the Seven Republics, to ensure strong friendships may exist for longer than occurred before that horrible war in the 60s, and that a mutual purpose arising from such an organisation may better serve the citizens of the world that we may have a chance to meet. Present at this Congress today is President Georgios Adrianos, of the Drakhmani State, and Chancellor Hildegard Wolf of the Adler Republic. On behalf of President Adrianos and herself, Chancellor Wolf has agreed to speak before this Congress, and I urge all delegates in attendance to heed the words of our closest ally. Please welcome Chancellor Hildegard Wolf!"
Henn's last words were marked by a large clapping he gave off to the side of the mic, so that it would not burst the eardrums of the delegates, followed by the rest of the room. Cameras were fast to capture the transfer of the speakership, and he extended his arm out to her when she approached the podium.