Lodamun

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With the Lodamese Navy reaffirming its commitment to the Naval Modernisation Programme (NMP), the Defence Procurement Administration (DPA) announced that it had awarded Dodson Shipyards the lucrative contract to construct Lodamun’s future fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines. At a joint press conference at the Department of Defence in Kensington, Secretary of the Navy Oliver Bennett, confirmed that with the NMP advancing along its schedule albeit with minor setbacks related to the future frigate programme, the nation could comfortably begin work to building its submarine/sub-sea capabilities. The decision to bring forward the NMP’s plans for the Submarine Force comes amidst growing concern among defence planners lamenting the lack of such a capability within the Lodamese Navy’s arsenal. Pointing to the advances made by Dolgava and Hutori in particular, they noted that whereas Lodamun has traditionally maintained an edge over most nations on the continent, its sub-sea capabilities had been lacking. “The absence of a submarine force capable of conducting operations in secrecy, well beyond Lodamun’s national borders remains an inherent concern. As nations continue to enhance investment into defence systems, Lodamun must position itself as a major competitor in this domain,” a now leaked internal memo from the DoD read.

It would be largely inaccurate for one to state that prior to this announcement, the Lodamese Navy did not possess any capable submarines. According to an internal investigation by the Office of Fiscal Accountability, Lodamun’s “premier” submarines were the Sealion-class. The investigation noted that a contract had been approved for the construction of atleast 14 of these vessels however due to cost-overruns and a corruption investigation by the NIB which brought down the contractor, the programme was ultimately cancelled ¼ way into its progress, with only four (4) submarines constructed. As the nature of the investigation focused primarily on the submarines and the manner in which they were financed, the Department of the Navy ultimately decided to drydock the vessels indefinitely in Portswood, where they remain to this day. Seeking to establish the new contract/programme as being separate from that of the Sealion, Secretary Bennett stated that the three Sealion submarines would be formally decommissioned and ultimately sold for scrap. “That project continues to be a stain on the Lodamese Navy’s overwise impeccable history for budgetary accountability. We remain committed to ensuring this new programme, which we are calling the “Kregon-class”, sticks to the principles of accountability. A repeat of the Sealion programme’s dramatic shortcomings would only lend itself to lower trust in the Navy by the Lodamese public at large,” Bennett explained.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Thomas Brooks, who was present for the press conference, fielded questions from the media on the rationale behind the Navy’s decision for a nuclear-powered attack submarine instead of a conventionally-powered attack submarine. He noted that the decision ultimately came down to the broader capabilities afforded to the Lodamese Navy by maintaining a wholly nuclear-powered submarine force. Pointing to the greater endurance and unlimited range, Adm. Brooks noted that it was the “common sense approach”. As the Lodamese Navy continues to expand its range to match that of the Harrington Company’s most important/lucrative shipping routes, such a capability would undoubtedly lend itself to an “early win” as the navy would be capable of projecting a clear presence well into Migrant’s Pass without having to refuel on a regular basis. “That ability to position our assets in a given theatre without having to worry too much about R&R is extremely important to both the Navy’s force structure and the Chairman’s [Chairman of the Combined Chiefs] broader strategy for the Lodamese Armed Forces,” Adm. Brooks explained.

The DPA confirmed that the Department of the Navy’s broader ambition for the Submarine Force was to maintain a fleet of around 20 submarines. With Dodson Shipyards having secured the contract, it is likely that this is part of a broader long-term agreement between the Federal Government and Dodson. With estimates placing the construction of a singular submarine at 4.5 billion LOD per unit, the entire programme (if seen to its completion), could cost the Lodamese taxpayer an estimated 90 billion LOD. Reaffirming that the financing of this project would not be a “upfront payment”, the DPA noted that the long-term nature of the project meant that it was capable of spreading out its financing through various means via loans/debt financing and budgetary appropriations. It has been rumoured that the vessels will take the names of Lodamese cities and historical figures.

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In its most recent report on access to financial services within Lodamun, the Federal Reserve Bank concluded that compared to the other states and other territories throughout the region, the Native Territories with its population of around 1 million persons, remains the most underbanked/underserved area in Lodamun and one of the most on the Seleyan continent. The bombastic report, which has been the subject of a furious debate within the Territorial Assembly as representatives railed against the nation’s major financial institutions for “leaving millions of persons behind,” was compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank as part of a new series aimed at addressing a gap in macro as well as microeconomic data related to the Native Territories. According to the report, 89% of the population of the NT remains unbanked with the reasons for this statistic being varied. It notes that the vast majority of the “unbanked” in NT either do not trust Lodamun’s major financial institutions or have to some degree faced discrimination at the hands of said financial institutions, which ultimately dissuade them from being “banked” in the first place. Although not explicitly named in the report, it could be deduced that the financial institutions alluded to in the report are the Bank of Newchester, Flintwood Nash and Hewlett & Lynch. Yet, against this backdrop, the report also points to the undeniable fact that the scale of “unbankability” in the NT could be related to the broader macroeconomic context as subpar earnings among individuals ultimately lend themselves to hesitation toward saving and maintaining a bank account and towards simply living on said earnings to “just get by.”

A legislative representative for Paasat Community, Satanta Cowgill notes that there was a considerable amount of people within the NT “just getting by” who were working from paycheck to paycheck and thus the idea of even maintaining a bank account did not come as a thought to them. “Many already come into this situation with an inherent suspicion of banks and thus prefer to take their earnings in cash as they believe they’d have greater freedom to spend their money,” Representative Cowgill explained. Interestingly, Rep. Cowgill notes that the nature of “unbankedness” within the NT could not be placed solely at the feet of subpar earnings, a mistrust of banks or even discrimination, but instead could be attributed to a suite of challenges which he says have been raised within the Territorial Assembly in numerous occasions. “It would be disingenuous for anyone to suggest that things are they way they are now solely because of discrimination, mistrust of banks or low earnings. The root causes namely: the frequency of banks, ease of doing business and a system which seems largely hostile to the type of banking required in the NT, have been raised ad nusseum by numerous representatives in the Territorial Assembly and in our meetings with congressional leaders and members of the Federal Government,” Rep Cowgill explained. Governor of the Native Territories, Nosh Thomas who has been a long-term advocate for a greater presence among Lodamese banks in the NT, stated that previous Governors have attempted to prompt the “big banks” to work with them on improving this situation but to no avail.

With technical assistance from the Bureau of Native Affairs, territorial legislatures, business leaders and members of the territorial government have drafted a framework, which when fully implemented would create what is being considered the first publicly-owned commercial bank in Lodamun. “First Territorial Bank”, as is being proposed, would operate exclusively in the Native Territories and will provide financial services ranging from loans/borrowing, to wealth management to citizens of the Native Territories only. At a brief press conference alongside Director of the BNA, Governor Thomas stated that the territorial legislature had envisioned that FTB would fall outside of the Banking and Financial Services Act, which regulates banks and other financial services entities in Lodamun. He noted that in pursuit of greater autonomy from the Lodamese banks, legislatures structured the FTB Act to follow the guidelines as set by the Banking and Financial Services Act instead. Officials from the Department of the Treasury confirmed that although territorial legislature also placed an obligation on the Territorial Government to guarantee future deposits, it would nonetheless be considered a defacto member of the Credit Reconstruction Corporation, and would be subject to both the CRC’s guidelines in strenuous economic/financial circumstances. “Although we recognise this as an earnest attempt to develop and maintain one’s autonomy from the big four, it [FTB] will still be considered a de facto member of the CRC and will thus be guided by its rules and guidelines, especially during periods of financial uncertainty,” Associate Secretary for Financial Services Ethan Bradley explained.

One of the key regulations coming out of the debates on the FTB Act is that the bank would have to establish branches in each of the nations of the NT and therefore has a statutory obligation to reduce the state of unbankedness in the NT from 89% to 40% in the coming decade. Governor Thomas is reportedly in deep consultations with independent assembly members on a broad agreement as to who would be appointed as the bank’s Chairman. Although such an appointment is decided by the Territorial Administrator, the FTB Act allows for the Territorial Assembly to recommend that the Territorial Administrator appoint their nominee. Some of the names under consideration by the assembly include veteran banker and former Regional Financial Planning Manager at PCH Carville Arthur Harrison, former financial advisor to the Governor Yahto Kane and businessman Machk Wilson. Although not the bank’s CEO, the Chairman would nonetheless provide strategic direction for the bank.

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Although the details surrounding the situation remain uncertain at this time, it is being reported that a long-range maritime patrol drone, owned and operated by the Lodamese Coast Guard, which had been operating in the White Ocean and patrolling parts of the Arctic, has gone missing. At an emergency press conference earlier this morning, Defence Department Press Secretary Michael Graham confirmed that the Lodamese Coast Guard had reported that it had lost contact with one of its maritime patrol drones which had been patrolling the inner limits of the arctic. The drone in question is one of the three (3) maritime patrol drones initially deployed to the region as part of the LCG’s expanded operations via the Karzon Strait Initiative with Dolgava. The multi-million dollar drones enable the Coast Guard to conduct extended patrols of parts of the globe without having to commit physical manpower. The development comes against the backdrop of Trigunia’s resurgence, particularly the announcement of its decision to reinitiate its broad Kerisian aerospace policing operation. In an earlier statement, Commandant of the Lodamese Coast Guard Rear Admiral Peter Gray stated that regardless of the state of Trigunia’s air policing operation, Lodamun’s drone-based maritime patrol operations in the White Ocean and the arctic region would continue unabated. Graham was quick to shut down speculation surrounding Trigunia’s involvement in the situation, noting that details still remain unclear. This however did not stop numerous commentators from placing the drone’s disappearance at Trigunia’s feet. “It can’t be anyone else but them,” one commentator said referring to the Trigunian Armed Forces. “I mean who else could it reasonably be? Can’t be the Hutorians because they wouldn’t dare.” Amateur maritime trackers have noted a significant increase in both Trigunian naval and aerial assets in the area where the LCG reportedly most contact with the drone. Publicly available maritime tracking applications allow individuals to know the real-time positions of most commercial and occasionally military maritime assets. PS Graham once more reiterated that whilst the details surrounding the situation remain unclear, it would be unwise to speculate at this time. “We are receiving information from numerous channels, some of which are official and others which are pure speculation. I will reiterate that the situation remains unclear at this time and we will provide the public with more information as it becomes available,” Graham said. To aid in locating the lost drone, the Lodamese Coast Guard has reportedly dispatched the LCGS-Konnor Mack Offshore Patrol Vessel (which is currently on Patrol in the Mad Dog Ocean) to the White Ocean alongside a Poseidon maritime patrol jet from the Lodamese Navy.

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In a press statement dated earlier this morning, the Department of Defence announced that construction on the Lodamese Armed Forces’ first major overseas military installation (located in Aldegar), has begun. Aldegar and Lodamun recently signed a security agreement which would see the central seleyan state receive numerous security guarantees from Lodamun alongside military aid and technical assistance in exchange for granting the Lodamese Armed Forces the ability to construct a major naval installation within Aldegarian territory. The statement noted that the proposed Naval Air Station, as per the articles of the security agreement will enable the Lodamese Armed Forces to berth ships and host aircraft alongside minor housing facilities for the crews attached to the aforementioned equipment. The base represents the realisation of the Department of Defence’s long-term plans for the LAF. Largely underscored by an inherent need to maintain the prosperity afforded to the nation by the Harrington Company, the DoD embarked on a major defence procurement and modernisation programme which aims to enhance the capabilities of the various branches of the Lodamese Armed Forces as a means of adhering to this decades-long geostrategic policy. “This installation is a step forward in our plans for ensuring the Harrington Company can traverse the world’s seas without hindrance, especially in times of global conflict,” the statement read. To let the cat out of the bag, some geopolitical analysts have noted that Lodamun’s expeditionary ambitions came at the latter end of the Hubris War, wherein owing the relative disruption to global trade and ever cognizant of Lodamun’s exposure to such risk, the nation sought to “prepare for the eventual.” Prof. Brandon Holmes, a lecturer of International Relations and Geopolitics at Drumford University surmised that Lodamun’s geopolitical stance since the conflict’s conclusion meant that it was ultimately informed by the conflict itself. “Although it would be easy to brush something like that aside as “hard-nosed North Seleyan”, at the end of the conflict the Lodamun geostrategic planners came to the realisation that it could no longer depend on the world’s “assumed powers” to guard/watch over its interests on its behalf. Every decision the [Federal] government has ever made since that time, be it the State Department or the DoD has been informed by the fact that Lodamun is of the opinion that it could no longer rely on other states to defend/protect its interests abroad. In every essence, they’ve taken it upon themselves to go out and secure their interests themselves.” Professor Holmes explained. Naval Base Amsted, as the facility is being coined will be a consolidated naval installation (as was mentioned prior), thus following in the footsteps of the military installation in Lodamun-proper. DoD regulations on base construction note that where the Navy is concerned, that accommodation must be made for aerial assets, as a result of this, most if not all Lodamese naval installations in Lodamun are consolidated installations operating numerous smaller installations under a singular, unified entity. The Bureau of Shipyards and Docks noted that construction costs associated with the facility could settle at around 800 million LOD, with the vast majority of the funding for construction going into the installation state of state-of-the-art facilities including hardened aircraft shelters and berthing facilities including a medium-sized drydock.

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The Department of Defence confirmed earlier this morning that the Lodamese Coast Guard had recovered debris from the Triton maritime patrol drone, which had been reported missing last week, however, the circumstances surrounding the drone’s disappearance remain unknown. The drone reportedly went missing a few miles southwest of the inner limits of the Arctic. DoD Press Secretary Michael Graham stated that the Lodamese Coast Guard had found a piece of the drone’s wing alongside one of its two rudders. The Trident maritime patrol drone forms the backbone of the Lodamese Coast Guard’s operations in the Mad Dog Ocean as well as the White Ocean. They ultimately provide the LCG with the ability to conduct extended patrols of vast swaths of territory without having to commit otherwise costly manpower deployments in the form of patrol vessels. Present during the conference was Commander, Central Littoral Command ADML Ben Gardner who fielded questions from the media. Central Littoral Command is the command structure of the LCG responsible for the Mad Dog Ocean and parts of the White Ocean. The drone at the centre of the situation which has been identified as WX-187KN, falls under Central Littoral Command. “The debris was initially found by a Poseidon patrol jet conducting both low and high-level passes throughout the region where the drone went missing. A crew from the LCS-Konnor Mack was launched to retrieve the debris as part of our investigation. We have seen the comments from numerous commentators attempting to bait us into speculative judgment. I’d like to note that we will continue this investigation until there is a clear picture as developed,” ADML Gardner explained.

The comments in question referred to numerous open-source intelligence analysts who note that the presence of Trigunian military assets in the area potentially points to the nation’s involvement. The State Department is reportedly in communication with the Trigunian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence in connection to the investigation. The LCG has noted that the wing and accompanying rudder had been found some miles from the demarcation of the Trigunian Arctic claim and initial surveys of the damage and general condition of the debris point to the drone’s destruction. “The existence of this debris points to the fact that the drone is no longer intact but is severely damaged,” ADML Gardner noted. He explained that based on its general location, the LCG would likely require permission from the Trigunian Government to send its search teams to look for additional pieces of debris which could have drifted into the Trigunia arctic claim. “It is my understanding that the State Department is currently in talks with the Trigunian Government on gauging whether we’d be granted permission to enter and continue our search in the Trigunian arctic zone,” PS Graham explained. Some analysts have noted that given the debris, the drone could have either experienced a critical systems failure and crashed or now pressingly and potentially more concerning: could have been shot down. “I mean the Press Secretary has been mom on the details as has the LCG but I think we should factor in the drone either experiencing some sort of systems failure or being shot down. Should the latter come to pass, there will certainly change the dynamic of this investigation and by extension, the entire situation from the very beginning,” John Saunders, an analyst connected with the Centre for Geostrategic Policy and Research, speculated.

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Building on the growing success of the Afterburner aerial combat exercises, the Lodamese Air Force believes that there are opportunities to be had in forging closer ties with existing partners, particularly in preparation for joint operations in the future. Although it is one thing to demonstrate one’s combat prowess, LAF planners believe that the Lodamese Air Force must set itself apart from others in its ability to conduct a broad spectrum of operations with its allies and other like-minded nations. One of those operations which the LAF is keen on developing not only for itself but also for its partners is air mobility/airlift. In its basic form, air mobility/airlift refers to the ability to transfer strategic units from point A to B via air assets (i.e. helicopters, cargo planes etc). With the Lodamese Armed Forces being gradually reoriented towards expeditionary warfare, airlift/air mobility operations will undoubtedly become a major part of its broader dynamic. In the early hours of this morning, just hours before dawn, the Lodamese Air Force and the Imperial Air Force of Luthori commenced “Exercise Baggage Train”, their inaugural joint airlift exercise. Birthed at the latter end of the previous Afterburner exercise wherein IAF airmen lamented at the lack of training exercises focused on enhancing the nation’s readiness for foreign deployments, the Exercise is very different from Afterburner as it is not a competition folded into a training exercise but is a pure training exercise. “It isn’t a competition to see who can move assets the fastest. It is purely an exercise to see whether Luthorian and Lodamese airlift forces are capable of working together to move assets across a vast theatre,” Maj. Gen. Oliver Richards one of the architects of the exercise.

Maj. Gen. Richards alongside his IAF counterpart Air Cdre Oral Greerson envisioned that the exercise would be broad in the capabilities it attempted to test. “People should not scoff at this exercise. Any nation claiming the ability to “deploy anywhere around the world” must possess some ability to move ground forces from point A to B, via airlift. Although it should be noted that this capability does not negate the importance of sealift (which can bring more assets to bear), placing all your eggs into one basic is a recipe for failure,” Maj. Gen. Richards explained. “What we hope to achieve with this exercise, is a sort of style to which we [Luthori and Lodamun and potential allies] conduct ourselves in this area.” The exercise entails around 100 aircraft from both the Imperial Air Force and the Lodamese Air Force with the vast majority of said aircraft being transport jets such as the A400M, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 and the C-5 Galaxy. Alongside the aircraft, a diverse assortment of equipment is also present and will form a major part of the exercise alongside some 1,500 servicemembers and troops. The deployment of troops and assets would make the exercise, the largest of its kind ever conducted by the Lodamese Air Force in terms of scale and complexity. “Although we are sort of at the head of this exercise, it is a bit daunting for our crews because an exercise of this scale is something they’ve never seen before. Our crews are accustomed to smaller exercises, mainly entailing a handful of aircraft with objectives primarily centred around moving equipment from one airbase in Lodamun to another. This is their first long-range, cross-border exercise,” Maj. Gen. Richards concluded.

According to Air Cdre Greerson, the exercise in its entirety would be conducted between IAF Alchester in Erneshire and Jackson Air Force Base in St. Christopher. It commenced in Alchester with IAF A400Ms and C-17 Globemasters moving armoured vehicles (primarily the Challenger main battle tank, the warrior IFV and subordinate auxiliary equipment such as trucks and Snatch Utility Vehicle) and around 500 servicemen and women across the Artanian Sea and into Jackson Air Force Base in the early hours of the morning before daybreak. “We want to ensure that given our current capabilities, we are well within our own means of loading these equipment into the aircraft in a timely manner and sending them off. We don’t want a situation to arise wherein there’s chaos in loading the equipment and getting them airborne,” Air Cdre Greerson noted. Once the aircraft had landed at Jackson Air Force Base, they were subsequently unloaded by Lodamese Air Force personnel. The exercise is expected to last a week, and for the time being the Luthorian troops have been granted the ability to “see Lodamun” on tours and other excursions at the behest of the Exercise’s Commanders. “Whilst the troops enjoy themselves, Lodamese servicemembers will be hard at work preparing the equipment and the troops themselves to be flown back to Luthori on Lodamese Globemasters, C-130s and C-5 Galaxies. It is in these hours that the exercise really gets into its own because we have to translate load orders to our specifications whilst also writing a new book into how we conduct these operations jointly.” When the exercise concludes, Maj. Gen. Richards noted that the Luthorian transport aircraft will remain in Lodamun and the Lodamese transport aircraft will remain in Luthori in anticipation for another exercise hinted at by the two commanders.

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Following months of high-stakes negotiations between the two entities, North Seleyan Petroleum (NSP), Lodamun’s largest crude oil and natural gas company has announced that it had awarded Cowgill-Masterson Maritime Engineering a major contract to construct two pieces of equipment which could fundamentally change the way by which the company interacts with other oil and gas-rich territories. Yesterday the company’s board of directors approved some 1.4 billion LOD for the construction of two (2) floating liquified natural gas (FLNG) units, which when constructed would be the first of their kind ever operated by an oil and gas company in recent Terran history. The two vessels, which have been aptly named the Chester and the Leviathan, will form the backbone of the company’s operations outside of Lodamun as the board has expressed interest in looking into more mature fields throughout the world. According to the project’s designer Oliver George, explained that the vessels will be based on the hull of a decommissioned bunker vessel once operated by NSP. Owing to its otherwise complex nature, the vessels will, in essence, become a floating integrated natural gas processing facility, capable of extracting natural gas from established wells, process said natural gas (via fractions) and liquifying natural gas for shipment to other territories. “What we are attempting to construct here will undoubtedly revolutionise the way in which NSP interacts with the major producers of the world,” George said. NSP has largely maintained much of its operational capacity inland but nonetheless maintains some experience in at-sea LNG operations. The company’s vertical integration has undoubtedly enabled it to become increasingly involved throughout the natural gas supply chain from extraction to distribution, thus the Chester and the Leviathan are but the culmination of decades of work. Once completed, the company would be able to venture into the distant, yet more lucrative oil and gas fields throughout the world. Concurrently, NSP alongside their long-time business rival Jackson Energy maintain licenses to operate in the Hutorian natural gas shelf. “There are considerable opportunities out there. We have long eyed the South Ocean natural gas fields. Whilst we maintain some pipelines which move gas from the Mad Dog gas fields on land, a pipeline from the South Ocean to Lodamun is extremely unrealistic. The Chester and the Leviathan would allow us to establish wells, tap into those wells and process natural gas on the spot. I’m told that the designers are envisioning that LNG carriers could berth alongside either the Chester or the Leviathan and be loaded with LNG,” James Jordan, Chief Operations Officer for NSP explained. The Federal Industrial Finance Corporation (FIFC) has reportedly expressed interest in aiding NSP in financing the project for a share of both vessels on behalf of the Lodamese Government. According to leaked details of the contract granted to Cowgill-Masterson, the Chester is expected to be the smaller of the two vessels, with the Leviathan potentially weighing some 600,000 tonnes. Although he did not speak to the specific deployment of these assets once constructed, it is surmised that the Chester is likely to operate in smaller gas fields, in calmer waters whilst the Leviathan will operate in larger gas fields, in much rougher seas owing to a reinforced turret and mooring system.

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With considerable assistance from the Federal Industrial Finance Corporation, the Research Projects Administration and the Millford State Government, Stockham Electronics announced that it would be constructing its first major robotics manufacturing facility in Abernathy, Millford in the hopes of taking advantage of the state’s beneficial “booster” programme for manufacturing firms. Although the Newchester-based robotics firm could not be considered a major manufacturer in the traditional sense, the company nonetheless recognised the importance of maintaining such a capability, largely with the intent of reducing its dependence on foreign manufacturers for much of its robotic parts. In a press statement issued earlier this morning, the company’s CEO Jonathon Rios stated that following months of highly detailed deliberations between the company’s senior management and the board, it was decided that would move forward with the robotics plant to reduce its over-reliance on imports. The company noted that around 78% of the robotic products (most of which are not commercially available) are designed in-house but are ultimately manufactured and assembled externally in foreign factories. The press statement noted that as the company continues to grow and the complexity of its products along with it, it may become unsustainable for the company to continue the current arrangement. “It’s a preview but we’ve been looking into quadrupedal designs for broad applications throughout Lodamese society from defense to rescue services and the nature of robotics is largely based on trail and era. What works and what doesn’t work. Not only does designing prototypes here and having to wait for them to be assembled and then shipped to Lodamun become extremely time-consuming; but it is also impractical. I think we can take a page from the books of the automakers and become vertically integrated to some extent.” Rios explained via a telephone interview.

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As the Office of Atomic Energy continues its work in rationalising the nation’s nuclear energy strategy, the task of ensuring the nation maintains a steady and secure supply of uranium has fallen to the Harrington Company. As Lodamun does not possess readily available reserves of uranium (owing the the nation’s otherwise resources-strapped topography), most if not all of the uranium to be used in power generation is likely to come from external sources. The inherent vulnerability for which such a dynamic exposes Lodamun to therein underscores the reasons as to why Merchant General Hector Garza believes that the nation’s existing agreement with Aldegar on uranium imports is not enough. At a press conference held at the Harrington Company Estate in Harrington, MG Garza stated that subsequent discussions with Director of the Office of Atomic Energy Dr Robert Foster had impressed upon him the importance of Lodamun maintaining a certain, stable supply of uranium. Although not a vocal salesman of its uranium deposits, Saridan maintains one of the largest uranium deposits on the Seleyan continent. “We continue to value our relationship with Aldegar in so far as trade is concerned, however, we must recognise the importance of maintaining a diverse supply portfolio, as hedging all our bets on Aldegar could spell disaster,” MG Garza explained. In a communique to his Saridani counterpart, MG Garza confirmed that although the Lodamese Government was interested in importing uranium from Saridan it was not however interested in becoming involved in the nation’s uranium mining sector. He noted that although such a proposal could be potentially lucrative as Lodamese banks could bring significant investment to bear, the government would not actively encourage Lodamese firms to become involved. Beyond trade in uranium, MG Garza stated that his eventual trip to the nation alongside Secretary of State Derrick Weis provided Lodamun with a unique opportunity to forge a closer bond with a Seleyan state. Although it may not openly announce such advances, the Lodamese State Department has made subtle attempts at ensuring it remains on fair terms with Seleyan neighbours. The ever-increasing near-shoring of Lodamese imports from Seleyan nations remains a testament of the federal government’s commitment to reducing risk/exposure to external action by ensuring increasing amounts of its core resources are ultimately sourced within the immediate vicinity of Lodamun. The uranium purchase agreement is likely to be signed between the Saridani Government and the Harrington Company (on behalf of the Lodamese Government), wherein the uranium is to be handled jointly by Federal Repositories and the Office of Atomic Energy as the latter shall be responsible for stockpiling uranium imports similar to its dealings with crude oil and natural gas. Garza noted that he hoped that the agreement to be signed by him would be a long-term agreement which could lend itself to a greater Lodamese commitment to explore other areas of cooperation between the two states.

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Although both nations have maintained cordial relations the entrance of a new, more stable political order in Dušanpur provided Kensington with a unique opportunity to reinvigorate an otherwise unexciting relationship. President Dr Jane Whitmore is currently in Malivia as part of a three (3) day visit to the South Artanian Leviathan where she has emphasized the importance of cooperation among like-minded, democratic nations. At a press conference held at Whitehall prior to her departure alongside Secretary of State Derrick Weis, President Whitmore stated that Malivia had been relegated to the sidelines of the geopolitics largely due to the questionable and at many times outlandish actions of its previous political administrators, a fate she described as unfortunate for a nation such unique potential. “We have largely maintained cordial relations to the extent that it did not allow the previous government to have any real impact on our core interests in the region. History has shown that Malivia has had an unfortunate string of outlandish political administrators who although brought some sembles of stability to the nation, nonetheless relegated it to the geopolitical fringes,” President Whitmore said. The rise of the Svarāja Saṅgha (Self-Rule Association), according to President Whitmore represented a major change in the nation’s political trajectory. She noted that whilst her administration was largely uninterested in the party’s broader ambitions against the Beiteynu-dominated regional order, stable government she underscored was largely necessary in such a volatile space. “The Migrant’s Pass “crisis” was a largely avoidable conundrum. Not only did it damage Malivia’s standing in the international community, it also pointed to the importance of sane political governance in the nation. Stability in Dušanpur would always ultimately translate to stability in the Migrant’s Pass.

Secretary Weis was more direct in his assertions of the new political order brewing in Malivia. He noted that he was a broad proponent of the Sangha’s ambitions to recapture its agency in the Migrant’s Pass. Reiterating President Whitmore’s comment that stability in Dušanpur would ultimately translate to stability in Migrant’s Pass, he noted that such an act, although likely to garner controversy among the would-be “overseers” of the region, would nonetheless be an important step in Malivia recapturing “it’s place in the sun.” Merchant General Adam Carter stated that since the migrant’s pass “crisis”, the Harrington Company has maintained an inherent suspicion when traversing through the channel, pointing to how suddenly the situation originally unfolded. “Our ships have always traversed the region with inherent suspicion. Although Narikaton & Darnussia and Beiteynu have been gradually building a dynamic in that space, there was always the potential of their machinations being sidelined by unstable politics in Malivia,” Carter explained, recounting the Harrington Company’s historic policy in the nation. Carter, who is also accompanying the President and the Secretary of State noted that a stable government in Dušanpur meant that the nation could advance its long-anticipated plans for trade with Malivia. Pointing to the nation’s large population, an ever-going market for consumer goods, Carter stated that there were numerous opportunities to be had for Lodamese firms as well as an opportunity for Lodamun to advance its ambitions for greater resource security. “It would be remiss of me to speak for the Secretary of Commerce and Industry but I think there are opportunities to be had in Malivia. But more importantly, we can finally advance discussions on a potential resource agreement with the Malivian Government, once the dust has settled,” Carter said. Malivia maintains moderate uranium reserves which alongside its imports from Aldegar and Saridan would secure Lodamun’s access to much-needed uranium reserves as the nation’s appetite for nuclear energy grows.