One of the things I inherited from Somyrion's term as Minister of Foreign Affairs was the negotiations that he had been having with The West Pacific. Shortly after my election, I was approached by Halo, who asked what my intentions were and expressed that he hoped the negotiations could continue under my watch. Now, my views on relations with The West Pacific are no secret-- they were the first thing I explained during the questioning period of my campaign. I explained then that "TWP and TSP have been distant for... ever, really." I went on to say the following:
 

I did not believe that either question had truly been explored before or during negotiations last term. In my talks with Halo, I explained that it's unrealistic to see TSP and TWP as friends, given how many of our enemies they are allied with, our history, and the strong animosity quite a few of their elite have towards me specifically. I also explained my reticence regarding the Rahl Family and their strong presence within the region. We did not see eye-to-eye on the Rahl Family issue, which is no surprise.

That being said, I took a fresh look at the draft statement Somyrion and Halo had written. There was a kernel of something valuable there, I believed, and I made significant edits to the wording and the overall purpose of the statement. While this statement would not mark a "renewal" of relations with TWP, it would represent a defining moment, so to speak. Our policy towards TWP hasn't ever been properly outlined. We've just had vague notions that we just weren't friends and haven't been for a long time. Instead of this vagueness that can be misinterpreted into us being openly hostile to TWP (which has not been the case in a long time, as well), TSP's interests could be served by a joint statement explaining our current positions towards each other.

With that in mind, I presented Halo with a statement of detente. Detente is defined as the easing of strained relations, but not a newfound friendship or budding alliance. That, I believe, is a perfect description of our relationship with TWP. It could be worthwhile to tell the game, "We may not be friends, but we are not enemies either. And we'll strive to avoid becoming enemies in the future."

Without further adieu, here is the draft statement I have sent Halo. In keeping with my promises for transparency, I am presenting this draft to the Assembly for comment. It's not signed by either party, and the Cabinet hasn't formally voted upon it either way.

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For years, the diplomatic and political relationship between The West Pacific and The South Pacific has been strained and at times antagonistic. The long history between our regions cannot be erased by a single statement, but by signing this statement our respective governments wish to pave the first stone on the road to a future of peaceful coexistence. We recognize that there exist legitimate concerns of members of each of our regions to the idea of official relations. We also acknowledge that respectful and open dialogue and interaction between our regions would be mutually beneficial.

We, the undersigned representatives of our governments, recognize a state of detente between our two regions. It is in our strategic interests to ease our strained relations and open official channels of communication. To be clear, this is not a binding treaty of non-aggression or alliance, but it is a significant step in openly declaring that The West Pacific and The South Pacific are not enemies.

Accordingly, the governments of The West Pacific and The South Pacific agree to strive towards--

• Each of our governments respecting the sovereignty of the other, and encouraging that respect among our partners and allies.
  
• Each of our governments understanding and acknowledging that with sovereignty comes the right to govern itself in the way of its choosing.
  
• Each of our governments committing to participate in, and invite each other to, non-political cultural activities and events in order to increase interregional awareness and friendships.
  
• Each of our governments encouraging mutual respect and understanding of the members of our communities.
  

Signed:

[executives + ministers of foreign affairs]