Foreign Affairs Opening Address - June 2024
I am delighted to speak to you all as your next Minister of Foreign Affairs. I thank the Delegate @Simone for entrusting me with this position and I am eager to see what I can do in a new capacity. I would also like to extend my gratitude to former Minister @Comfed for his excellent performance for the past five months and for leaving the ministry in a great spot. For the remainder of the term, I will work on continuing the agenda of my predecessor and the Delegate, while combining it with my plans for the ministry.
It is crucial for the ministry to develop the next generation of diplomats and leaders, and that is why we must find ways to engage our ambassadors with not only the ministry itself but foreign regions as well. All ambassadors will be required to post a report on all of their assigned regions at least once every three weeks, detailing all regional happenings from their previous report to the time of their current one, although the information in the report does not have to be overly complex or of considerable length. This will encourage our ambassadors to interact and stay up-to-date with what is going on with their assigned regions. Active engagement and knowledge of current affairs are crucial skills for developing our future diplomats, as being aware of current developments allows officials to make timely and informed decisions. This change seeks to develop those skills.
Remaining on the topic of foreign regions, I will seek to review each of The North Pacific’s forum and in-game embassies. The review is intended to determine which of our embassies provide value to the region and our interests. This discussion will be held across the entirety of the ministry, and all ambassadors will be strongly encouraged to participate in the discussion and evaluate their own postings. The only factors that will be considered under the embassy review will be the embassy's activity, the region's state, and the embassy’s communications with our region. This is another exercise intended for staff members to participate in the critical thinking required for Foreign Affairs. Our treaties will not be subject to review by the staff.
Not only do we need our ambassadors and staff to be knowledgeable about current events, but our residents need to be kept abreast of foreign developments as well. The FA Digest is an idea of mine that goes back to my Acting Delegacy. The FA Digest is a segment written for TNP residents to keep them updated with major foreign developments, such as major military actions, cultural events, and major diplomatic developments such as new treaties or embassies. I envision the digest as part of a greater publication, namely The North Star. The information will be researched and compiled into a report by Foreign Affairs, which later will be edited and published by Communications with their agreement. While TNS has written about major foreign events relating to TNP in the past, the FA Digest will focus on news from abroad.
The diplomatic landscape is constantly evolving, and the sudden developments of the last few months have demonstrated just how unpredictable the game is. The FA team will be crucial in responding swiftly to unfolding events. Our ability to gather information and engage in effective diplomacy with other regions will be paramount, which is why both the members of the foreign committee and the deputies must be at the top of their game. In the latter role, @Attempted Socialism will be retained. I am currently interviewing prospective deputy candidates, and future appointments will be announced at a later date. That said, my private messages are open to any interested applicants.
I would like once more express how grateful I am for this opportunity to serve as The North Pacific’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and look forward to working with the Delegate to ensure that the interests of TNP and her allies are met on the international stage, and continuing to raise the bar for the ministry at home. Let's get started and make the remainder of the term great!
Signed,
Minister of Foreign Affairs for The North Pacific
