Osvaldo Aranha Memorial Building of the Dept. of External Affairs

[Hash]

Department of External Affairs: August 2010 Foreign Policy Review

Definitions of the DoEA's Foreign Policy Review

Economic/Trade Restrictions:

Normal/None: Atlasian government and corporations are free to due business unhindered by government enforced restrictions.

Partial: Specific restrictions such as selective tariffs or partial embargoes are to be in place to attack the government and not the regime. Foreign aid can be granted if the regime shows signs of progress towards democracy.

Full: Complete embargo and trade is forbidden with the nation in question. Corporations in violation may face fines decided by the Senate.

Military Restrictions:

Normal/None: Any military hardware produced by private firms, or by the government of Atlasia may be sold to the government in question. However, nuclear material, technology and nuclear weapons may not be sold unless the Senate agrees with the sale of atomic technology to the nation in question.

Partial: Personnel weapons may be sold by private corporations or the state to the country in question. Personnel weapons are weapons, which are carried and operated by one man, i.e. assault rifles, mortars, RPGs, etc. No vehicles, armour, aircraft, or ships may be sold.

Full: No military equipment of any nature may be sold privately or by Atlasia, i.e. no uniforms, guns, vehicles, nothing.

Italicized countries have seen a change in DoEA policy

DoEA Policy: Africa

Algeria: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Angola: Normal
Benin: Normal
Botswana: Normal
Burkina Faso: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Burundi: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have concerns about ethnic violence, political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Cameroon: Normal, though we are concerned by the political situation and corruption.
Cape Verde: Normal
Central African Republic: Partial military and partial economic restrictions. We have concerns about political freedoms and civil liberties.
Chad: Partial military and partial economic restrictions. We have concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and the Darfur refugees situation.
Comoros: Normal, though we have underlying concerns about long-term stability and unity
Congo: Full military and partial economic restrictions. We are concerned by the massive corruption and lack of political freedoms.
Cote d’Ivoire: Full military and economic restrictions. Alassane Ouattara is recognized by Atlasia as the legal winner, and we will full impose sanctions until President Gbagbo steps down in recognition of this fact.*
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Full military and economic restrictions because of serious concerns about the political situation, instability, civil liberties, corruption, ethnic violence and treatment of women.
Djibouti: Full military and partial economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms and civil liberties.
Egypt: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption. The recent election was sham.
Equatorial Guinea: Full military and economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms and civil liberties.
Eritrea: Full military and economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about the political situation, civil liberties and illegal weapons trading with Somalia.
Ethiopia: Partial military and no economic restrictions.  We have concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, internal violence and relations with Somalia.
Gabon: Partial military and partial economic restrictions until democratic institutions are respected and civil liberties recognized.
Gambia: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Ghana: Normal
Guinea: Normal. We are pleased by the organization and results of the recent election, and wish to support Guinea's transition into a modern democratic state.
Guinea-Bissau: Normal, though we have concerns about civil liberties and corruption.
Kenya: Normal
Lesotho: Normal
Liberia: Normal
Libya: Full military and partial economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Madagascar: Normal, though we are concerned by corruption and the general political situation. Elections should be held as quickly as possible.
Malawi: Normal
Mali: Normal
Mauritania: Normal, though we have underlying concerns about political stability and political freedoms.
Mauritius: Normal
Morocco: Normal, though we are concerned about political freedoms, civil liberties and the situation in Western Sahara. A referendum on the institutional future of Western Sahara should be held as soon as possible.
Mozambique: Normal
Namibia: Normal
Niger: Normal, though we have serious concerns about political freedoms and basic rights.
Nigeria: Normal. We have serious concerns about political stability, violence in the Niger Delta, civil liberties and corruption.
Rwanda: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms and civil liberties.
Sao Tome and Principe: Normal
Senegal: Normal
Seychelles: Normal
Sierra Leone: Normal
Somalia: Full military and economic restrictions. Our concerns regarding continued violence, civil liberties, political freedoms, corruption, piracy and the overall situation should be quite clear.
Somaliland: Normal
South Africa: Normal
Sudan: Full military and economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, corruption and the quasi-genocide in Darfur. We also call on the organization, according to the current schedule, of the referendum on the independence of South Sudan.
Swaziland: Full military and economic restrictions. We have serious concerns about political freedoms and civil liberties.
Tanzania: Normal, though we have some concerns about political freedoms.
Togo: Partial military and no economic restrictions. We have concerns about political freedoms, civil liberties, and corruption.
Tunisia: Partial military and no economic restrictions.
Uganda: Full military and partial economic restrictions. We have concerns about the political situation, civil liberties, political freedom and corruption.
Zambia: Normal
Zimbabwe: Full military and economic restrictions

* We will re-evaluate this policy in the near future, if the situation warrants it

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Bienvenue au ministère des Affaires extérieures
Bienvenido al Departamento de Asuntos Exteriores
Willkommen in der Abteilung für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Bem-vindo ao Departamento de Assuntos Externos
Welkom bij het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
Zapraszamy do Departamentu Spraw Zagranicznych
Benvingut al Departament de Relacions Exteriors
ברוכים הבאים ל המחלקה לקשרי חוץ
مرحبا بكم في وزارة الشؤون الخارجية
Добро пожаловать в министерство иностранных дел

This is Atlasia. We post in English. If you wanna stay here, learn it.

[Hash]

GTO Ambassador

If you are interested in being Atlasia's GTO Ambassador, and working in close coordination with myself and other cabinet officials, please PM me including a paragraph or two on why you'd like to get the job, and I'll interview each candidate by asking questions about your view on the GTO, Atlasia's foreign policy and other general questions.

If nobody has PMed me signaling interest by December 21, I will go out looking for potential candidates myself.

[Hash]

I shall be on a state visit to China later this week.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Hash, how the Ambassador to GTO selection is going?

[Bacon King]

I assume if one wishes to be GTO Ambassador they can't hold any other office?

[Hash]

Negotiations have begun with the Chinese government, and a speech should be given today.

[Hash]

Beijing, China

Good morning.

I'd like to begin by thanking my Chinese counterparts for receiving me today and for being open and receptive to our points of view and general situation. I am pleased by the productive discussions we have had thus far.

Atlasia recognizes, as any realistic person should, the role which China plays in the world economy and, as a result, its ability to wield more economic and political power than it has at any time in the past. We certainly may have our disagreements with aspects of Chinese policy, but we cannot ignore the role that China plays in the world economy. The Atlasian government has no intention to adopt a new attitude towards China, and it certainly has no interests in doing so either.

In an economic crisis in a globalized world, the solution to problems are not found by digging ourselves into holes and isolating ourself from the rest of the world. An isolationist and protective attitude isn't the way to go in 2010. At the same time, there is no perfect solution either, but Atlasia is of the opinion that whatever the optimal solution may be, it involves working with other countries in a cooperative spirit. To this point, China and Atlasia have cooperated as partners and while we may both have our reservations about aspects of the other's policy, we know that working together is the best path to be taken by both our nations and we recognize that disagreements and diversions of opinions are not forbidden between partners. The bottom line that we must all realize is that whatever our idealistic ideological dreams, the reality of the economic and political situation of the world means that two powerful nations such as China and Atlasia must work together and not against each other.

Thank you all for your time

The SoEA will in Bangkok and New Delhi in the upcoming week

[Hash]

Negotiations and the Asian tour will resume in the new year. Bloavezh mat to all.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Your new deputy has been confirmed

H.R.H. Kalwejt the Magnificent

[Hash]

Accra, Ghana: SoEA's speech on African policy

Good afternoon and Happy New Year to all.

It is always terribly disappointing that Africa is one area of lesser interest to the world's diplomats than other continents. It isn't for me, and in the light of recent events happening all over the continent, both good and bad, Africa is a crucial continent and will be even more crucial in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Beyond mere platitudes and rhetoric, I would like to address various specific and current issues of relation to Atlasia's African policy today.

First and foremost in the DoEA's preoccupations is Cote d'Ivoire. The political chaos, growing radicalism and the very high risk of everything blowing over from one day to the next is very preoccupying. The DoEA made it clear early in December that Atlasia considers Mr. Alassane Ouattara to be the rightful winner of the democratic presidential elections held in November and December of last year. We have also made it clear, along with our European and African partners, that President Gbagbo must go. At this stage, he has lost power fair and square and must accept it. His government's obstination in refusing to recognize the results of the vote and his dangerous play up of ethnic tensions through nationalistic rhetoric has aggravated the situation and has put the country on the verge of another conflict. The rising death tolls on the streets of Abidjan, rising day after day, are totally unacceptable and they are undoubtedly linked to Gbagbo's obstinate and intransigent attitude, as well as the sabre-rattling practiced by his government. Given this and the fact that is government is not recognized as legitimate, Atlasia, along with most of its allies, has placed full sanctions on the country since December and these will only be lifted once Gbagbo recognizes Mr. Ouattara as the legitimate winner of the election. We must prioritize negotiations between the two rivals, and we are pleased by Mr. Ouattara and arguably even Mr. Gbagbo's continued desire to resolve the crisis through peaceful means. But in the lack of progress in those negotiations and the mounting radicalism on both sides of the equation, we must also consider removing Mr. Gbagbo by force if need be. Removal by force is not our - or anybody's - preferred solution, but we must all seriously consider it if it allows the country to regain a semblance of stability and allow a legitimate government to exercise much needed governance to fix the country's many issues. However, let me be clear. If worse comes to worse, and we as a collective are compelled to remove Mr. Gbagbo by force, Atlasia has no interest in doing so directly by itself. It should be, if it happens, a collective action led by the African Union and not a direct unilateral action led by any foreign power.

On a more optimistic topic, the DoEA is pleased with the organization of the referendum in South Sudan. While the details leading up to this referendum may not have been optimal or in our likings entirely, we certainly do welcome the fact that a vote which we hope will be free, fair and peaceful is being organized. There has been much work done by Khartoum, Juba and the UN which is to be lauded given the turbulent and troubled past of South Sudan and indeed much of the region. This vote is crucial for South Sudan, obviously, and we hope that an independent South Sudan will be able to be a democratic state which prioritizes the well-being of its citizens. It is also important for Sudan, and there is reason to hope that a successful referendum here could also happen in Darfur, which remains an important issue not to be forgotten. In a wider context, this referendum, if successful in terms of organization, could be a precedent for Africa. Too often have such issues been solved through conflict and violence, therefore it is a source of hope that future conflicts could be solved peacefully, perhaps through the organization of referendums of this type.

I would also like to address the ongoing situation in Tunisia, with violent riots concerning poor living conditions, corruption and unemployment. These are dramatic riots, and they reflect not an isolated fringe but a widespread sentiment of despair from the country's youth which, although well educated, finds itself totally unable to find any form of employment and suffers from chronic corruption and poor living conditions. Repressing these demonstrations, legitimate expressions of popular anger, is not the right way to deal with this. Lest the Tunisian government wishes to see this situation degenerate into a far more dangerous situation than it currently is, then it is in its interests to carry out much needed reforms which will quell reforms much better than bullets and guns. Atlasia is tracking the situation in Tunisia - as well as in Algeria, which has recently seen similar events, with great attention and for the moment we will limit ourselves to condemning the use of violence by Tunisian authorities.

I thank you for your time, and I will be happy to take your questions.

[Hash]

The DoEA is pleased by President Ben Ali's departure from Tunisia. The courage and determination of the Tunisian people, who, despite repression and brutality, continued protesting, is to be lauded. However, we condemn looters and other trouble seekers who attempt to exploit these events for personal gain.

The Tunisian government now has an unprecedented chance to install genuine and durable democratic institutions. It is now or perhaps never, and the world is watching its moves.

[Hash]

The DoEA will fully cooperate with the GTO and the federal government into investigations concerning the recent explosion at GTO HQs. The DoEA also urges the attention and cooperation of the President and Senate into this investigation and, later, a discussion of the measures to take.

[Hash]

RESPONSE TO THE EGYPTIAN SITUATION

The DoEA and Atlasia clearly and unambiguously condemns the repression utilized by the government on protesters and the DoEA supports the demands of protesters for democracy, and freedom. We deem the government to be have lost its legitimacy to govern Egypt. It would be inappropriate for us to make comments on the type of government we want instead, but for now we support full democratic reforms and a complete end to the authoritarian regime which has ruled Egypt. Sham and artificial reforms will not be acceptable to the DoEA.

The DoEA has ordered a change in policy, ordering full military and partial economic restrictions to be placed on Egypt until we deem that the situation has stabilized and there is a true opening for real democracy, and not sham reforms. The DoEA previously had only partial military and no economic restrictions.

The DoEA has ordered the evacuation of all Atlasian citizens and families currently living in Egypt, and we strongly recommend that no Atlasians travel to Egypt for any reasons. The current situation is deeply unstable and dangerous, and thus any civilian travel, even if essential, should not be undertaken and Atlasia makes it clear that those civilians who do travel there do so on their own terms at their own risks.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I assume if one wishes to be GTO Ambassador they can't hold any other office?

I think a rule under no one can hold two offices is pretty darn clear.

[Hash]

Random Updates

EGYPT: The DoEA states unequivocally that it believes that President Hosni Mubarak should step down as soon as possible as to make a smooth and genuine transition of sorts towards democracy possible. We believe that his stubborn determination to hang on to power will only worsen the situation and dangerously radicalize the protesters to the point of no-return. In short, step down before it's too late. For reminders, Atlasia has full military and partial economic restrictions on Egypt and we do not intend to change that policy anytime soon.

NIGER: We are pleased with the first round of presidential elections, which we deem free and fair. We hope that the runoff will be peaceful and equally free and fair.

HAITI: We are concerned by continuing political strife and civil disturbances in Haiti over the delay of the presidential runoff election and related issues.

[HappyWarrior]

The DoEA will fully cooperate with the GTO and the federal government into investigations concerning the recent explosion at GTO HQs. The DoEA also urges the attention and cooperation of the President and Senate into this investigation and, later, a discussion of the measures to take.

Just so you know Mr. Secretary if you need anything introduced into the Senate please simply let me know.  You know quite well of my concern for External Affairs Issues.

[Hash]

SPEECH ON THE ARAB SITUATION
FEBRUARY 21, 2011
NYMAN D.C.

Good morning,

I believe that it is fair time for me to make some general statements in regard to the situation in the Arab world in general.

We are pleased with the overthrows of Ben Ali and Mubarak in Egypt, as we have previously made clear. In both these countries, the new caretaker government have a heavy load on their shoulder of both restoring stability and organizing the first truly free and democratic elections in a very long time in these countries. Atlasia stands ready to provide assistance to these caretaker governments in the organization of such elections, which must be held as soon as possible and which must include parties of all political persuasions. We may, as a government, disagree with the political persuasion and goals of some of these parties, but it would be beyond hypocritical for us to laud democracy while at the same time working to prevent certain people from participation. We either stand for or against democracy, and I wish to make it unambiguously clear that we stand for democracy. A democracy which is pluralistic in all senses of the term: politically, religiously, ideologically and ethnically. It must also be a democracy which is not afraid to punish the criminals of the past, and in this regard we join our voice to that of the Tunisian government in asking Saudi Arabia to extradite Ben Ali.

By consequence of the new situation in Egypt and Tunisia, I have ordered that all military and economic restrictions placed on these countries be removed.

It is undeniable that the events of Egypt and Tunisia have spread throughout the region, notably Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Iran. We are shocked by the violence utilized by the governments of these countries to repress through bloodshed the expression of a popular desire for democracy, and we unambiguously condemn this violence. We urge restraint on the behalf of all those involved, especially from the state.

We call on all involved to use diplomacy rather than violence to resolve problems. Because a strategy of repression will only serve to radicalize those on the streets protesting, and make what is today a popular, pluralistic movement wide open to opportunistic exploitation by radicals whose goal is power, not freedom. It is for this reason that we called shortly before Mubarak's ultimate departure for him to step down as to prevent a dangerous radicalization of the movement and the potential for it to be infiltrated and sabotaged by radical elements, be they theocratic or whatever else.

For this moment, we will restrain ourselves from comment on specific cases in specific countries. However, I wish to let it be known that I have ordered that Atlasia impose full military and economic restrictions on Libya and Bahrain and full military and partial economic restrictions on Yemen*. Of course, our policy towards the Iranian state remains unchanged. This policy shall remain in place until we judge that there has been significant overtures on the behalf of the respective governments towards political reform and genuine dialogue.

Thank you, and I shall take your questions.

* The DoEA observes that President Saleh has seemingly ordered an end to the violence, and as such we cautiously recognize this development by preventing full economic restrictions