Stefan sat listening to the comments from some of the representatives and he had fully expected Merilia's neutrality to be brought into question. After four representatives had spoken, he leaned towards his microphone to respond.
"While it is true that the Kingdom of Merilia maintains a simple neutrality, I must stress that it only prevents my nations armed forces from getting involved in a conflict. It does not cause the Kingdom to be isolationist or prevent us from providing humanitarian aid and relief both during and following a crisis. In past conflicts, we have provided humanitarian help alongside refugee shelters both in the war torn country and at home until such time that the refugees either choose to return to their home country or stay in Merilia and become citizens. This ties into our political situation where the Kingdom strives to maintain friendly and open relations with all nations in Eras. Our most recent humanitarian operations were in Sil Dorsett and Prydania where we not only offered refugee housing but food, medicine and personnel to help rebuild what had been lost, be they roads, highways, buildings, or public infrastructure.
So while many might find our stance on staying out of conflicts to be disagreeable and think that we should do more to contain or prevent conflicts, I ask that you keep in mind that the Kingdom's stance and adherence to peace and conflict avoidance has created a very strong and stable economy... economic strength and stability which acts as the backbone to my government's response in providing humanitarian help when needed. Our economic strength is built on the back of the big three exports of information technology services, machinery, and electrical products and equipment. However, we still maintain a reasonably strong manufacturing and agricultural sector.
Moving on, I understand the concern that if the Pan Gotic Union allows one nation to opt out of the mutual defense clause, it will cause a domino effect that will lead to the eventual dissolvement of said clause. This was one issue brought to the attention of Ms. Rosenørn, the Kingdom's representative to the Trillium Compact, an alliance that has a mutual defense clause with the ability to opt out and to date, the Kingdom of Merilia is the only nation that has thus far exercised that right. Furthermore, the Kingdom has been monitoring what has gone on in the Phoenix Union, another alliance that has a mutual defense clause with the ability to opt out. It took until very recently for a member-nation, Sil Dorsett, to exercise that right. So yes, it is a concern and one that should be brought to attention and addressed but I do not share the same fear that allowing one nation to opt out will start a domino effect of everyone wanting to opt out. What should be done is to de-incentivize the ability to opt out and make it something that no nation would want to utilize unless they are one hundred percent committed to the consequences of doing so. As such, I am fully accepting the possibility that if we are allowed to opt out of the mutual defense clause that it means the Kingdom is agreeing to the notion that no Pan Gotic Union member has to come to our defense should we be attacked. Furthermore, as I had mentioned earlier, the Kingdom upholds and maintains a very well rounded humanitarian aid and relief operation. The Chancellors Council and I view that humanitarian interventionism is a strong enough replacement in lieu of military interventionism as dictated by the mutual defense clause.
Lastly, regarding the notion that we should reconsider our neutrality, sadly I must inform that Merilia's neutrality is a non-negotiable point. It has been a part of the Kingdom's culture for the last one hundred and seventy five plus years since the early-mid eighteen hundreds. To undo the neutrality would require a referendum of the constitution, the backing of the majority of the public, and the full backing of the Chancellors Council. None of which is an option at the moment as the support for neutrality remains high."
