La Conferencia de Altéa

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Lady Michelle Ananto-Sandoval, for the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan:

Ladies and gentlemen, we had a different speech prepared and would have delivered, in regard to several nations taking unnecessary shots at various nations, all while decrying the lack of a cooperative spirit in the world.

We'll save that speech, and instead address our cousin in Egelion.

We see regionalism as a half step between complete isolation and just throwing away all sovereignty to the whim and caprice of international "law".  We say it is capricious, because the law changes depending on who is enforcing it.  And so often the "law" is made "for thee, not for me."  Those who wish to enforce these sorts of "laws" on other nations are often the worst offenders.  Nations of the world can say what they like about international "law", but Kalistan will not submit to any law not made in Kaliburg.  So.  There is nothing more we need say about that topic.

However, the strength of regional agreements is that it allows those closest to us to work together on projects which are of mutual concern.  Egelion, for example, has expressed an intent to join the Anantonese Security Community, which commits all member nations to sharing the responsibilities of guaranteeing security in our region.  Kalistan can rely on Egelion to fulfill that commitment, because Egelion has a vital stake in that agreement's success:  They have skin in the game, you might say.

Far more skin in the game than a nation like, say, Zardugal, which will not be affected by insecurity in the Anantonese Ocean, as they are thousands of miles away from the Anantonese Ocean.  Egelion's proximity to the region gives its commitment credibility in the eyes of others.  It gives others a reason to want to cooperate, rather than close our borders and lock ourselves in our National Assemblies and on our islands.  We can trust that Egelion will support stability and security in our region because instability and insecurity in our region will harm Egelion as much as it will Kalistan.  And trust, this is the foundation of all international diplomacy.  If we cannot trust our partners, there can be no diplomacy.  Without actual skin in the game, an actual stake which is worse to lose than it is to fight for, there can be no trust.

We have far more confidence that our neighbors will come to our aid in time of need than we do in the international community.  Simply put, Kalistan does not trust the international community.  Certainly not the way we trust Lodamun, Gaduridos, and yes, Egelion and Lourenne and Dolgava.  Because Kalistan knows we are in the same boat, one that nations outside of our region could not possibly fit into.

Kalistan has its flaws.  We tend to aim higher than others would prefer us to.  Kalistan is a small nation with a louder voice than some in the world would prefer we have.  These are not our flaws, merely our characteristics.  But Kalistan does also walk over other people's interests, and Kalistan does tend to promote our interests to the exclusion of what others want.  This is true.  The charge of arrogance by the Beluzian representative is true.  Kalistan is very paranoid about the intentions of others.  There is a good reason for that paranoia:  Many of our worst fears often have a habit of being made true.  But it doesn't always allow us to play well with one another.  There are many more flaws to name here that would be simply too painful to acknowledge.  Suffice it to say, we don't always do things cleanly.

And yet, despite our flaws, Kalistan is and has always been honest about what it is and what it wishes to do.  We have never been duplicitous.  This is not a flaw either.  Kalistan has always lived up to its word, and we happen to view that as our greatest strength.

If the world community can come up with a system that allows for all nations, even those who are small and often ignored by the large powers, to have a meaningful say in the course of world events, and to form a basis for international cooperation on important matters, one that is permissive, rather than exclusive, that allows others to have a reason to join, rather than giving them every reason under the sun to avoid it, as the previous World Congress, with a security council made up of the most powerful nations in the world did, I give you the pledge of Kalistan here that we will embrace that organization.  I give you my word as a Brethrenist, and as an Ananto, that I will become its greatest cheerleader.

And if this body decides to just resurrect the moribund and critically flawed WC, that gives nations bent on hegemony all the power, and the smaller nations of the world none of it, I also pledge here today that Kalistan will leave this conference and will continue doing exactly what it has always done, which apparently is so objectionable to so many of the nations gathered here.

We wish to work together, and could work together internationally, as a community of equals.  But we require that credibility of commitment that others will do that too.  Otherwise, why should Kalistan bring down its guard, if all we see are the people at a conference like this, raising their guard against Kalistan?  We would prefer to work regionally, because the credibility is there with the stake in regional affairs.  Additionally, we are as interested in keeping powers from other regions out of our region as they clearly are in keeping us out of theirs.  But if there is a plan that allows us to build some trust in the institutions of the world, more than just some fiat by countries that we do not trust that "everything will just be ok, so do what we want, alright?" Kalistan would certainly be open to the idea.