- "It's been quite a rough part in our history", this were the words of the Foreign Secretary, Andrew Meyer after the end of his hours-long interview, many subjects were treated, from Kalistani blunder to Majatran diplomacy, passing by colonial apology and the Bier Qassem Conference in which Luthori was invited to attend as an observer. Every of these subjects were observed and the Foreign Secretary gave his outlook on his predecessor for 15 years at the Foreign Ministry, Kacper Fischer's policies during his time as Foreign Secretary. This interview was observed by the Times' journalist, Emily Buckley.
For simplicity reasons, E, refers to Ms. Buckley and M, refers to Mr. Meyer
E: Welcome, Foreign Secretary for this unusual interview with you, this is quite unusual, due to the last Foreign Secretary, Mr. Fischer rarely giving interview and what is more surprising is that we're here at Blackhall for this interview. Any reasons for this choice?
M: Well, thanks for having me in this interview, it's not an exercice that I am mastering, I admit truthfully, but I'll be trying my best at answering your question clearly. [clears throat] The choice of Blackhall for the location of this interview is quite normal, it's the seat of Luthori's foreign policy and foreign ministry, my residence, since not a lot of time, I'm still moving in with my family, so yeah, as the seat of foreign affairs in this country, I've felt like it was important to have a conversation about foreign policy here of all places.
E: Thank you for this answer, so moving on the first place of business, we should talk about your opinion on Luthori's foreign policy during the last 15 years and what are your views on the future of the Luthorian foreign policy.
M: We need to understand one thing, for the last 14 years, at least since 5474, the Opposition and Government worked with an aim, reshifting Luthori's foreign policy. The opposition, under, first, Lord Derby and second, Lord Threwiford, worked, tirelessly with the aim of offering windows of opportunities for the Labour government to use and expanding Luthori's global reach. The Opposition was the one who visited Kalistan, I believe in 5483, so 6 years from now, we've helped the government steemrolling Parliament for the passage of "Model Treaties" with either old, in the case of Dundorf and Narikaton & Darnussia, or new partners, in the view of Gaduridos. If I must say something about Luthori's foreign policy during the last 15 years, it's been a policy of steady realignment towards economic interest rather than military interests, especially in the light of the Baltusian fiasco, which, technically brought down Lord Derby as Leader of the Opposition. Yet, Luthori's foreign policy, has been a failure in many aspects that I'll try, with my team, with the government and Parliament to look and resolve these issues. I'm not saying I'm going to be "Luthori's savior", I think that this isn't necessary at all, as I believe that Luthori only needs a consistent policy to follow to succeed.
E: Speaking of Kalistan, what are your thoughts about the Empress' Speech in Kalistan, destroying any hopes at having a "detente" like what the Luthorian Government would have wanted.
M: Kalistan is right at having cut off any semblance of "reapprochement" with Luthori. Speaking honestly, Luthori has only itself to blame, and that's one of the topics, where I'm really dissapointed on a personal level about the Foreign Office's conduct with Kalistan, which I, and the Prime Minister thinks has been "very disrespectful" towards Kalistan, which has put concrete acknowledgement of Luthori's willingness at having a "cordial" relationship between the two countries, although this was quickly becoming more and more frustrating to the Kalistanis who saw the Luthorian government taking no steps towards that aim, and yeah, in my view, they are totally right to have cut communications with Fort William for this abject failure. I'm not onlu blaming the Pernigh Ministry for this failure, I'm also blaming myself for this, I was not able to speerhead the debate in the Imperial Diet about Kalistan and I consider myself to be responsible for the downfall of Luthori's talk with Kaliburg.
E: Yet, there has been a long silence from Fort William about Kaliburg's step towards increasing relations, how did the Foreign Office not immediately respond to it with a nice gesture?
M: I wasn't there. I wasn't there. So, unfortunately, I cannot provide you with a proper answer on this topic, of course, it's...it's...it's surprising coming from Luthori to have no response to something that is being handed over on a plate. Yet, it's the Luthorian Way, always shitting on golden opportunities and taking poor opportunities for the collection.
E: Is having a Kalistani "detente" one of your priorities as Foreign Secretary?
M: It's, indeed, one of my priorities as Foreign Secretary, although, it'll only happen if there is a honest behavior from Fort William towards Kaliburg. It'll only happen at that moment.
E: Staying in Seleya, it's been since quite a little while that Luthori and Gaduridos signed a "Model Treaty", with also opened up both economies to eachothers, what is your view on the Model Treaty and are you going to use as Foreign Secretary?
M: I'm totally going to use it during my tenure as Foreign Secretary, it's been agreed upon by the Prime Minister, who has no envy of "shaking" Luthori's foreign policy as of now. You know that I've been very critical of Lord Derby's passage at Crown Street, which prevented me from ever having a seat in the Derby Shadow Ministry during his tenure as Leader. Yet, I find that the Model Treaty is one of the best things that have happened in the realm of Foreign Policy in Luthori since a while now. So, of course, it's normal, I'm still going to use it.
E: You've said that the Model Treaty is one of the best thing that has come in the Foreign Office's hands during the Derby years, yet there is still one treaty left to ratify.
M: The Hobrazian one?
E: Yes, the one that the Pernigh Ministry concluded a deal with Hobrazia.
M: Again, at that time, I was still in the opposition, I cannor speak about what passed through my predecessor's head during that time, and I'm surprised that contact has not been lost between Luthori & Hobrazia [laughs a little with E], but, Hobrazia is becoming a power of its own right and I feel it's important to have contacts between neighbors, so, getting that treaty off the rug will be one of my priorities during my time as Foreign Secretary, as well as expanding our current trading network though Model Treaties.
E: Speaking of trade, Luthorian trade have been taking a massive hit since 10 years at least, due to the failure of Parliament to sign off the Yeudish Neset treaties, returning to a position of "status quo" in regards to trade relationship between Yishelem & Fort William since the termination of the alliance in the aftermath of the War of Lost Souls. What is your objective on this particular issue?
M: Well, sign the damn treaty for once. [they both begin to laugh]..And then, begin a process with our friends at Yishelem towards a "reconcillation" between the two nations, as we all know, Luthori and paperwork make 2. And this has been hurting the Luthorian economy to level that we can't even imagine today. [coughs] I think that in Luthori's best interest, it'll be necessary to sign the necessary treaties to return to a "status quo" with Yishelem in regards to trade agreements and restore trust and confidence between the two countries at a long term outlook. Although, we should continue to look for other partners for trade in the world, and also in Majatra.
E: We'll be staying in Majatra for a bit, what is your view on Majatran diplomacy?
M: Well, Majatra has been traditionnally considered as being "Beiteynu's backyard" at least here in Fort William, so it's a region where we didn't really moved into except in some occassion, but we were at odds with Beiteynu at this time, like in 5334, I think, when the then-Foreign Secretary Reynolds made a visit in Cildania. Yet, as of today, Majatra is a region where numerous partnerships can be built with Majatran nations, hum, it's the outlook that Luthori would adopt during at least my tenure, seeking partnerships and friendships with Majatran states in openess and truth.
E: Staying in Majatra, we've been invited to Bir Qassem and the Foreign Office has announced sending as plenipotentiary, Lord Patrick Werdald, Acting Minister of State for Majatran Affairs, care to explain that decision?
M: Well, Lord Werdald is one of my closest advisors and I think it'll be good for him to represent Luthori at this conference as an observer, plus, he is one of the most talented diplomats about Majatra that I've known in my life, having lived many years in Deltaria and having studied in Lourenne and Beiteynu, I cannot go there for the moment, as I'm set to fly to Aldegar for Ms. Parisa's funeral and send our condolences to the Aldegarian people for this loss.
E: Moving on to other subjects, what will be a "Eastern (Dovani) Diplomacy under you?
M: Well, first, it'll be humbling, because, we need to remember that we have been imperialistic powers in the past, so it'll be a diplomacy focused towards an apology from the Empire to all countries which have been colonized by Luthori at some point during their history and it'll be a policy of repayment for the crimes of colonialism and a policy of "building bridges together" and expanding relations between Dovani and Luthori as equal partners. On more specific topic, Lourenne's policy would be...I unfortunately cannot say anything at the moment about the United Kingdom's policy that will be made by Luthori.
E: What is your view on the Prime Minister declaring back in 5486 that Luthori should apologize for the colonization of Dovani? Like what Lourenne has been doing since many centuries?
M: I think that is a necessary step towards the good direction, you cannot have a good relation between two countries when one is refusing to apologize for its crimes, Lord Threwiford already stated that the Opposition was "deeply sorry" for the crimes of our ancestors in Dovani, a position that would be made clear during my visit in New Verham.
E: Well, thank you, Foreign Secretary for this interview and we'll leave at moving in Blackhall.
M: Thank you very much.
E: And that concludes our interview with Mr. Andrew Meyer, Foreign Secretary.