A Long-Desired Rapprochement [Lusatia-Kumosenkan Diplomacy]

[alxeu]

With the news becoming public of diplomatic rapprochement between Ulster-Gaelia and Kumosenkan, the Lusatian Foreign Ministry felt confident enough to reach out and reopen proper diplomatic relations with Kumosenkan beyond the basic cordiality of the past years. While the nations had embassies and exchanged diplomatic niceties on the regular, trade was limited to civilian dealings and attempts at closer relations had been left to smolder, in solidarity with their Gaelic allies following the Hawaii War.

With diplomatic options being reopened, however, Lusatia was prepared to negotiate with Kumosenkan regarding additional economic ties, the allure of the vast Kumo market being too valuable to resist. Foreign Minister Stefan Kaminski reached out to Kumosenkan's ambassador Aya Nakanishi to inquire about the possibility of improving diplomatic and trade ties.

[Sophie]

Aya Nakanishi, having not read the most recent news as she had been far too busy indulging in plenty now that she could once again safely explore the city without fear of indignant protestors, had assumed this was yet another pointless meeting. As with almost all former meetings between Lusatia and Kumosenkan, she assumed it would be another thinly veiled conversation of "We're not gonna declare war on you, are you gonna declare war on us?" over the course of several hours so both diplomats could earn their paychecks and move on to more important matters, like liquor and ass.

She blocked out the entire day for the meeting so that when it ended in a matter of hours, she could spend the rest of the day goofing off. The Embassy quickly tidied up for the visit, and Aya waited patiently for their arrival.

[alxeu]

Unfortunately for the ambassador, when Foreign Minister Kaminski arrived, he was bearing not pointless frivolities, but several folders and documents in a briefcase, a couple of the titles like "Northern Metalworking Q3-Q4 1934 Anticipated Productivity Report" or "Commerce Ministry Import Value Estimates" sticking out.

Greeting Aya, smiling, if not that slightly cold smile Kaminski typically wore, the Foreign Minister started, "Good morning Ambassador Nakanishi, I hope this meeting hasn't disrupted your other official duties too severely?"

[Sophie]

"Oh, not at all, not at all!" Aya waved them in. Though when she saw the folders, a pit formed in her stomach. There was more paperwork in their hands than Aya had filed in her entire tenure as a lead ambassador. "That's a lot of paperwork you've got there." She paused. "This isn't notice of war, is it?"

[alxeu]

Kaminski frowned, puzzled, "Typically, those would be sent by telegram and our ambassadors would address your foreign ministry, not the other way around. At any rate, it would be downright foolish to start a war with Kumosenkan now, given recent diplomatic developments. Lusatia is just looking to not be left out in said developments."

"I mean, have you seen the news? If the UKUG's trade with Kumosenkan is worth that much, imagine how much both our nations stand to gain from trade."

[Sophie]

"The news?" Aya paused again, with blatant panic crossing her face. "Of- of course, I have! The um, the trade... deal." She continued on from context clues. "So you want to open trade delegations with Kumosenkan? That's a major shift in your policy towards us."

[alxeu]

Kaminski shrugged, "It wouldn't be the biggest diplomatic reversal in the past few months."

Either oblivious to Aya's panic, or perhaps wanting to twist the knife to see just how unprepared she was, he continued, "Anyway, I've got with me portfolios from a variety of Lusatian corporations on their excess production along with ministerial reports on generalized economic growth and value of our exports and current import needs. I recognize exact demands and needs of Kumosenkan's corporations are probably not immediately available for you, but if you wish to peruse a few of these documents right now, during our meeting, to see if there's anything that stands out as an opening for our mutual trade, we can maybe leave today with contact information for our companies to begin negotiating imports and exports between each other."

[Sophie]

"I may not know the exact needs off the top of my head." She began to ramble as she dug through a filing cabinet she had not opened since she took the job. "However, I am generally aware of the needs of my people." Dust kicked off a folder and placed it on her desk. Flipping through it, she got to a general overview of needs, written in 1930. She hoped this had largely remained the same. "Of course, Kumo corporations also have quite the excess they would be willing to export to your large market. You need only name your needs, and I am sure that we can have them fulfilled."

"The um..." She spoke as she read. "Our biggest need from Lusatian companies would largely be refined oil product and a varying battery of refined materials."