Closing Address: September 2025
And with that, another term comes to a close. As a mid-term replacement, in a term where the delegate himself was replaced toward the end, there’s been a lot of flux in this office for me to deal with. It came at a fortunate time, however. Events in NS have largely settled from where they were in the spring and middle of summer. We have had a chance to catch our breath and evaluate the state of the game and our relationships. As has been the case every time I have served in this role, we’ve tried to find the best way to teach and develop new talent in FA, and to reinvent the ambassador wheel. As of the term to come, it seems ambassadors will be back, as we once again resign ourselves to the oldest form of staff engagement.
We finished the term with one of the most significant bilateral treaties in years, a treaty with The West Pacific. This is more than just pulling off what was once considered impossible - it’s a restoration of one of this region’s oldest alliances, signifying the great distance both regions covered to get to this point. But it was hinted at when TWP came back to us in MGC - our interests and our values have aligned more this year, and even a few years previous, than they have most of the time I have been in TNP. And they are stronger with our allies of a decade or more, our friends in Euro and Balder. A new Independence is taking shape, and we can proudly say we have been here the whole time. I believe that of all the areas of government in this term, even the last two terms, Foreign Affairs is in the best shape. I hope our successful release of two FA digests covering all the significant and major events of 2024 and 2025 have illustrated that point, and that for the first time in a while, TNPers can say they have more than a hazy idea of what is going on in this game and with the moves their government is making in the diplomatic chessboard.
As the new era of this game takes shape and our work with these allies continues, we will find ourselves making many decisions that no longer are as obvious or black and white as the conflict with Malice allowed. We now have a dependable, powerful alliance that forges a bold path forward, and the trick will be how far, how fast, and how often we will make use of it, and for what purposes. As long as we use our power responsibly and advance the principles and values that underline everything we do, we can be a force for good and can serve as pillars for the NS community. If we get lost in the weeds of ego and petty grudges, we will risk falling to the side has we have seen time and again in the history of this game with those who do not respect or value the power and influence they hold.
For me personally, this is the fifth time I have held this post, and it is always exciting to hold this post in exciting times, but I do believe that I must continue to broaden my horizons and offer help where it is needed, and there are many places in need right now. I will not be returning to this post next term, and in all likelihood I will not be returning to it in the future. I believe that I am leaving this ministry with some of the strongest footing it has had in a long time. Over the course of the last three years, we have tackled enormous challenges and navigated them well. TNP is in perhaps the best diplomatic state it has been since I started playing in TNP, if not since I started playing NS. I cannot take credit for that alone, these years have seen many try their hand and helping to steer us in the right direction. But I do believe the next generation has to lead, and the old generation has to offer our best advice and support, but let them take the lead. We must always be moving forward, building on what we have done before, but refining it and growing in some way, toward ever greater heights, and always with an eye toward making this place a bit better than it was before we got here. I believe if the next MoFA and this delegate continue to follow the course we plotted these last three years, everything will turn out fine in the end. We must continue to try to solve the puzzle of how to better inform and foster new talent in this ministry, and make sure that knowledge of the greater game and our diplomatic efforts always makes its way to our people, because if we grow too disconnected from the game around us, none of it will matter.
Thanks for listening to me blather on again, and for allowing me to take up this job again and again.
-Pallaith
