Koona For Minister of External Affairs

koona

koona

TNPer
Friends and Citizens,

I have spent many hours talking to current and former members of this region, about my views for our foreign policy, and our foreign ministry. I believe that the views I hold are shared by many, and if you would allow me to enact them I shall point TNP towards its goal of becoming a true world power.

I would like to present to you my goals for this term, concerning the foreign ministry:

Embassies and Ambassadors

I will work closely with the Minister of Communication to continue the tradition of weekly – and I do mean weekly – updates for our embassies.

I also wish to continue to strengthen the importance of our ambassadors, as I believe right now they are not being taken seriously. Every complaint or request is being brought straight to the Prime Minister, or Minister of External Affairs rather than the proper channels; this can leave our Diplomats feeling as if they are unimportant, and runs the danger of turning the role of Ambassador into a thankless, boring job.

Foreign Policy

This current cabinet has created an almost isolationist policy, as it was the best temporary policy for the region.

It is my goal to reaffirm TNP's status on the world stage, but for me to be able to do this, I will need to be very aware of the feelings of our citizens. A strong executive should not just lead blindly, but be open to the wants and needs of his electorate and the region as a whole.

I will be open to the idea of talks in regards to foreign policy decisions, as I believe that this is the best way to gauge the feelings of the region. With so many factions in TNP at this time, I believe that this would be the best way to find a middle ground for everyone.

Alliances and treaties

I want to continue TNP's stance of independence by keeping the region out of any unnecessary alliances or treaties, and I shall ensure that the Ministry continues to work closely with the Minister of Defence and NPIA when negotiating terms and conditions of any documents.

As a feeder, we are a naturally strong region. This means we are impervious to many, if not all outside forces, therefore I would be far more inclined to sign cultural and diplomatic treaties rather than martial or military ones.

Other Feeders

As a feeder, our fears, needs and problems are shared by the other feeders. It is my aim to bring our regions close together, as we have a huge responsibility to the game·


I promise, if you vote for me that by the end of my term, the Ministry of External Affairs will make this region one of the most powerful in the world.
 
A couple questions.


1) What are your views on the current situation in TWP?

2) What are your views toward relations with the ADN?
 
1) What are your views on the current situation in TWP?

The situation in TWP is a delicate one, I won't deny that, but it is an internal matter as far as TNP is concerned.

The delegacy was not taken or given away, it was not a takeover. The so called exiles self-exiled themselves, and by their wishes do not want to participate in the current govermental setup of the region. While I understand the where their anger is comming from it is by their choice that they don't want to participate and deny themselves a chance to shape their own region.

These are personal opinions, but the ministries job is to represent this region in matter of international affair. If elected I will do everything possible to represent our interest in this affair and not outside forces.

2) What are your views toward relations with the ADN?

Well, having been a member of the organisation I have knowledge of their inner workings and goals.

Relations with the ADN can only be a military one, since they have so clearly stated in their Article of Alliance that they do not interfear in regions internal politics. Considering this, the question is best answered by the future MoD.

But we don't need the ADN for military support since we all know that a feeder is virtualy impervious to many, if not all outside forces.

So if a relation is wished by the NPA in becoming a more active and better defender force some relation with the ADN might be helfull, but only in this regard and not in our defense as a region. In other words TNP does not need memberhip in the ADN and never will.
 
Just a couple more questions if you don't mind. :P


1) A few weeks ago the possibility of an "imperial" TNP was raised. What are your personal views about TNP having colonies in the future, and would you oppose or approve such efforts?

2) If elected, would you try to reach out to smaller regions, and if yes, how would you do this.
 
Just a couple more questions if you don't mind.

Not at all.

1) A few weeks ago the possibility of an "imperial" TNP was raised. What are your personal views about TNP having colonies in the future, and would you oppose or approve such efforts?

I think the "imperial" stuff was more of a reactionary thing to the fact that the present constitution is chocking the executive, that it praticaly ties their hands. While the document itself is a great piece of legilature it was written as a reaction to the NPD and it may not 100% reflect the whished of the citizens. A contitution is good until it reflects the needs of the people.

Another reason for the discution was the fear of TNP ending up like TWP, where the constitution itself controled every aspect of politics, which itself had brough too little participation and generated boredom.

About having colonies, heh. Well we'd need one heck of an army to do that. Wiould I approve it? From a strick OOC perspective yes, since it would breed masive activity in my opinion. IC, there would have to be very convincing arguments for this move.

2) If elected, would you try to reach out to smaller regions, and if yes, how would you do this.

I believe we are already reaching out to smaller regions with the Regional Advertisements board, which is unique in NS, and it sets a great ground for communication and understanding between us and smaller regions. Every UCR is a smaller region.

Reaching out to other regions is the resposability of the diplomats, and I shall listen to their opinions since they know the best what is going on in those regions. In the end I find that it is their opinion that hold the most wieght.

There is no better way to reaching out. That and cookies.
 
koona:
I think the "imperial" stuff was more of a reactionary thing to the fact that the present constitution is chocking the executive, that it praticaly ties their hands. While the document itself is a great piece of legilature it was written as a reaction to the NPD and it may not 100% reflect the whished of the citizens. A contitution is good until it reflects the needs of the people.
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Please clarify your position on this, especially the last sentence.

These are personal opinions, but the ministries job is to represent this region in matter of international affair. If elected I will do everything possible to represent our interest in this affair and not outside forces.
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What do you think our "interest" is in this affair? Do you feel we could in any want profit from this?
 
mr_sniffles:
koona:
I think the "imperial" stuff was more of a reactionary thing to the fact that the present constitution is chocking the executive, that it praticaly ties their hands. While the document itself is a great piece of legilature it was written as a reaction to the NPD and it may not 100% reflect the whished of the citizens. A contitution is good until it reflects the needs of the people.
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Please clarify your position on this, especially the last sentence.
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I believe that the constitution as it is now, ties up the hand of the executive, that it gives grounds for only two people to effectively half the activity of the cabinet. If we are a representative democracy than this contitution does not 100% reflect that.

These are personal opinions, but the ministries job is to represent this region in matter of international affair. If elected I will do everything possible to represent our interest in this affair and not outside forces.
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What do you think our "interest" is in this affair? Do you feel we could in any want profit from this?
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Yes, there are many ways in which we could tackle the current situation.

We could support either "faction" and depending on which won and our position there would be things that we would win and we would lose. But for such a stance the region would need to agree un such a thing by a vast majority. Since we don't seem to have this majority the neutral stance seems the best way for the region to go. What I meant by external forces is us not being bullied or in any way blackmailed (military or emotionaly) to go into this conflict if the majority of the region doesn't want it.
 
koona:
I believe that the constitution as it is now, ties up the hand of the executive, that it gives grounds for only two people to effectively half the activity of the cabinet. If we are a representative democracy than this contitution does not 100% reflect that.
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Are you saying that you would support a stronger executive branch (Cabinet)?

Secondly, is it not true that representative democracies come in many forms, and that not all of them are strong-executive forms?
 
Yes to your first question.

Yes they do, and I'm not advocating an executive that doesn't have to answer to anybody, there definetly is a need for accountability, but almost any move from the executive was acompanied by a form of ammendment or another.

Let the executive do their job, that is why they are elected, hold them resposible if they screw up, but let them do their job.
 
Thank you for those answers.

I'm sorry, but that suggests another question. What are some examples of where the Cabinet acted and someone/something "amended" that?
 
koona:
Let the executive do their job, that is why they are elected, hold them resposible if they screw up, but let them do their job.
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The job of the executive is to do just what they have done, as outlined by the constitution. To let them do the job that you are proposing is to remake the executive position in your vision. This is an appropriate stance, one I disagree with but I respect your position.
 
Also, let propose a hypothetical. What actions would you take if a high level spy was uncovered in our government, a spy from a large powerful region?

Would you release this information to the public? How would our diplomatic stance change with this region? Would you use covert means to remove them? and etc?
 
wizardofoz01:
I'm sorry, but that suggests another question. What are some examples of where the Cabinet acted and someone/something "amended" that?
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The On Emabassy Documents is a good example of this, where the ministry was practicaly paralised, and delays like this may hurt relations that the goverment is trying to establish with other regions.

mr_sniffles:
Also, let propose a hypothetical. What actions would you take if a high level spy was uncovered in our government, a spy from a large powerful region?

Would you release this information to the public? How would our diplomatic stance change with this region? Would you use covert means to remove them? and etc?
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This situation would need to be handled with delicacy, and the answer to your question would be more from the MoD and the security council, rather then the MoEA. It would not be the descition of the MoEA to release this kind of information, but the recomandation of the MoD and the security coucil and eventualy the PM.

Naturaly if the spy wouldn't be busted but used for counter inteligence then the overt relation with the region of origin would not change, but it would definetly be closely monitored.

If the spy would be busted, of course, the regional stance towards said region would change drasticaly to reflect such a betrayal.
 
koona:
mr_sniffles:
Also, let propose a hypothetical. What actions would you take if a high level spy was uncovered in our government, a spy from a large powerful region?

Would you release this information to the public? How would our diplomatic stance change with this region? Would you use covert means to remove them? and etc?
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This situation would need to be handled with delicacy, and the answer to your question would be more from the MoD and the security council, rather then the MoEA. It would not be the descition of the MoEA to release this kind of information, but the recomandation of the MoD and the security coucil and eventualy the PM.

Naturaly if the spy wouldn't be busted but used for counter inteligence then the overt relation with the region of origin would not change, but it would definetly be closely monitored.

If the spy would be busted, of course, the regional stance towards said region would change drasticaly to reflect such a betrayal.
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Very nice answer but I guess I'm wondering what kind of diplomatic retaliations are you prepared to use?

These are sensitive issues for a peacetime government such as ourselves, since no one wants a war I feel that peace time diplomatic efforts are the most important.
 
It is my understanding that there is in place currently an agreement between the ADN and TNP concerning military matters. Therefore I have a couple of questions based on the fact that you might support a move to something more than this.

What is your view on the ADN policy that member regions are obliged to participate in their missions ie that once signed up the individual citizens of the region so signed up do not get to decide individual cases?

What is your view on the ADN's policy of not allowing re-posting from their forum of even information which directly concerns a region on that region's own forum?

Thank you in advance.
 
Cathyy:
It is my understanding that there is in place currently an agreement between the ADN and TNP concerning military matters. Therefore I have a couple of questions based on the fact that you might support a move to something more than this.

What is your view on the ADN policy that member regions are obliged to participate in their missions ie that once signed up the individual citizens of the region so signed up do not get to decide individual cases?

What is your view on the ADN's policy of not allowing re-posting from their forum of even information which directly concerns a region on that region's own forum?

Thank you in advance.
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Actually currently we have no foreign policy, objectives, or any working alliances what-so-ever. However you seem to not be the only one with questions about the ADN.
 
mr_sniffles:
Very nice answer but I guess I'm wondering what kind of diplomatic retaliations are you prepared to use?

These are sensitive issues for a peacetime government such as ourselves, since no one wants a war I feel that peace time diplomatic efforts are the most important.
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I understand that we are a peacetime and peaceloving goverment and community, but such a betrayal as a spy cannot go unchecked or unretaliated. I would not like such a situation to come to pass, but the goverment of origin has to be held accountable for it's members actions. Of course the goverment in question would be given the oportunity of explain itself and present evidence of the contrary, but it is our goverment who will decide the course of action, and I will defend the dignity and good reputation.

In other words, for the sake of peace I will try to exploit everything to remedy the damage but not at the expense of TNP's community or good name.

Cathyy:
It is my understanding that there is in place currently an agreement between the ADN and TNP concerning military matters. Therefore I have a couple of questions based on the fact that you might support a move to something more than this.
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I actualy do not want to push for anything more, this agreement is a bit too much in itself since until we have a fully functional NPA this is kinda unnecesary.

Cathyy:
What is your view on the ADN policy that member regions are obliged to participate in their missions ie that once signed up the individual citizens of the region so signed up do not get to decide individual cases?
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That is not true. The ADN does not obligate any single member. The AoA signatory regions are obligated to defend a fellow member but each regions sets it's own military policies, so this obligation does not necesarely translates to the individual soldier.

Cathyy:
What is your view on the ADN's policy of not allowing re-posting from their forum of even information which directly concerns a region on that region's own forum?
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Yes, I must admit this is a tricky situation. It my opinion that the ADN is flawed in this regard, since it doesn't really deal with it's member regions, and the fact that there is a clear disctintion of ADN member and ADN regions member, and the rise in rank are totaly independent.

Normal a situation like you described should be able to reach that certain region's forum, but through the proper channels and chain of command, but this chain of command is falwed and not syncronised between the ADN and it's member regions.

So I understand the policy and the fact that it's not fair to the member regions.
 
koona:
The On Emabassy Documents is a good example of this, where the ministry was practicaly paralised, and delays like this may hurt relations that the goverment is trying to establish with other regions.
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This is a surprising statement. The Embassy Documents proposal was designed to give our foreign diplomats AND the MoEA more leverage in their work. This is evidenced by the fact that the legislation changed the way certain foreign agreements were voted on (e.g. requiring only Cabinet approval). In addition, it stipulates that the MoEA may remove the region from an already-breached treaty instead of having a referendum on the issue.

I fail to see how the Ministry was "paralyzed" as a result of this. If you are saying the MoEA was paralyzed BEFORE the Embassy Documents bill, then I am unconvinced -- people saw that changes needed to be made and the RA made those changes promptly. That was the only realistic course of action.
 
Yes I did mean it for BEFORE, and I'm glad that the RA has reached that coclusion, but it was the MoEA, namely GoalVa who submitted and pushed for it to pass.
 
Thanks for answering my questions Koona.

I was referring to the following Mr Sniffles:

Military Guidelines for consideration between The North Pacific Governemnt and The Alliance Defense Network

The North Pacific and the Alliance Defense Network, as two sovereign powers, mutually pledge to aid each other both militarily and in terms of intelligence in the event of an outside threat against their regions or interests. All aid is directly dependant on the decisions of the governing bodies of both parties. If a possible conflict of interest occurs either party may decline any request for aid. Neither party will have any special privileges in regards to forum and Government. Forum access will remain at the discretion of the leaders of both parties. Both parties shall endeavor to fulfill their friendships in the good spirit in which it was made.

editorual note: approved by referendum of the registered voters of The North Pacific, 14 - 23 October 2005.
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I was just wondering what kind of steps or intiatives you were thinking of introducing to revamp the role our Ambassadors play?
 
I'm going to pose to you the same question I posed to your opponent. What is your opinion on the events leading to the resignation of Goal from the ministry? How do you believe you would handle a similar situation if presented with it?
 
Namyeknom:
I was just wondering what kind of steps or intiatives you were thinking of introducing to revamp the role our Ambassadors play?
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Well I want to continue the selecting proccess of the abasadors position with the consultation of the minister and diplomat, this is the best way to finding the best place for the diplomat. This is important since it means the diplomat has to confortable with the place where he/she is being assigned to.

This and also:

I also wish to continue to strengthen the importance of our ambassadors, as I believe right now they are not being taken seriously. Every complaint or request is being brought straight to the Prime Minister, or Minister of External Affairs rather than the proper channels; this can leave our Diplomats feeling as if they are unimportant, and runs the danger of turning the role of Ambassador into a thankless, boring job.
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Deikura:
I'm going to pose to you the same question I posed to your opponent. What is your opinion on the events leading to the resignation of Goal from the ministry? How do you believe you would handle a similar situation if presented with it?
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Former minister GoalVa resigned his position in protest of the situation in which the executive finds itself, being constantly restrained and questioned. In the end this IC frustration trancends into OOC one, since the position of minister become a thankless but not less important job.

Well GoalVa managed to complete his term in my view since his resignation as a timeframe is practicaly neglijable, it was done in a sign of protest. So the situation was handled rather well in my opinion. Basic rule of the game, if it's not fun, stop doing it.

But this is why the position of Deputy was introduced, and the ministry has to take full advantage. When elected I shall select a strong deputy who could and would take my place in any event that would lead to my absence.
 
koona:
Well I want to continue the selecting proccess of the abasadors position with the consultation of the minister and diplomat, this is the best way to finding the best place for the diplomat. This is important since it means the diplomat has to confortable with the place where he/she is being assigned to.
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This is very much the way the DC has been operating since I first became an ambassador.

And going back to your opening speech, is it reasonable to expect channels of communication to be dealt with through ambassadors? And how would you insure that these lines of communication were kept to?
 
Is there any region or group in NS that you would not have relations with if they asked to open an embassy/consulate, and why?
 
Namyeknom:
This is very much the way the DC has been operating since I first became an ambassador.
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Hence the word "continue". It's a good process and I don't feel it hould be changed.

Namyeknom:
And going back to your opening speech, is it reasonable to expect channels of communication to be dealt with through ambassadors? And how would you insure that these lines of communication were kept to?
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Yes, I do expect these channels of communication to be through ambassadors since they can only be policical at the moment, since we don't have any military or intel relations with any other region. (ADN and RLA aren't regions). So yes, in the interest of activity for the ambassadors, resposability and just plain having them feel that they are doing something this is a good way to do things. Not going through a proper channel or chain of "command" leads not only to misscomunication with foreign goverments but also to disent internaly, depending on who is steping on who's toes. I take the role of the ambassador (having been one for a very long time, in various regions) very seriously and will make it into an equaly serious job.

flemingovia:
Is there any region or group in NS that you would not have relations with if they asked to open an embassy/consulate, and why?
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Heh, that's a good one, I must say. For such a question to be answered directly, I will need and will do if elected, a series of talks with the citizens in order to get the political preferences of TNP's people. I need to know if there are certain types of goverment that none of us would be interested to have relations with. These talks would serve to streamline the MoEA for a better and faster descition making.

Currently I don't think there is no such region which with TNP wouldn't open a consulate if not embassy. But there migh be goverment, the questions being their legitimacy, which is a very sentive issue not only as internal politics but as interregional politics as well.
 
One more from me - everyone's getting 'em, you're next on the list. :P

If a region proposed a full alliance with us - most likely militarisically, since that's the only feasible option I can think of - what would be your views on that?
 
As I have said before, we are a feeder and as such from a military view point we are virtualy impregnable. So at best I'd advise for a military cooperation, but not a full military alliance, since there is no need.

I also advocate a new type of alliance, a cultural one. While it cannot really called an alliance, I'd like to see the creation (I'll invent it if needed) of this type of alliance, which is based on culture and not military.

This is not an isolationist view (far from it, TNP is ready to go out there again) but a self deterministic and of strong presence and identity.
 
What is your view on francoism?

Do you truly feel that the userites are such a risk to the feederites or, in other words, us?
 
Francoism in my opinion was a reacionary respons to the game mods. Since the game mods have disregarded and still do the feeders as self deterministic regions, and only see them as a place for nations to be born. That view is is biased too much toward UCRs.

In that part I agree, since from the moment a feeder delegate assings an offisite forum for that feeder, a place for a community is born, and as such that feeeder becomes a player region in NS as well.

Francoism also adresses the recruitment of nations by the UCRs, whicih would take away active nations from the feeders leaving them with only the non active ones, but this is not 100% accurate since if the newly created nations move to a UCRs in the 1st minutes of their creations there is a 50% chance that they'll be just as inactive there too, but it has been shown that by recuiting UCRs have a higher rate of getting active nations than the feeders, so I understand where this view is comming from.

These first too points are existential problems and thinkings.

THe second part of the phylosophy is about how UCRs would try to take over the feeders by manipulation. I believe this comes from the 2 years that the NPO/PRP has been practicaly an adversary of every UCR out there.

But there is another thing with feeders. Because of their high profile, they are tageted by most of the UCRs for military alliances, which in my opinion are futile for a feeder and it can be easily used to drag a feeder into an unnecesary war. So yes this could be a problem for a feeder.

Hope that answers your question.
 
This only just came up.

I noticed in The Meritorious West Pacific Board that you posted as Koona saying "I am here as a PAcific citizen, nothing more."

Without reading too much into that particular comment, from your initial post in this thread I did not realise that you WERE a pacific citizen.

I think it is important for anyone standing as our MOEA to declare their interests in other regions. Perhaps, in the couple of days of voting left, you could let us know what other regions you have interests in, and at what level?

PS I am asking a similar question of other candidates who have election threads.
 
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