Aloria

[IntruderEmerald]

Breaking: Aloria retaliates with tariffs on Aldegar

Aloria has retaliated to tariffs placed on goods passing through the Aldegar canal by placing its own tariffs on all Aldegarian goods entering Aloria. This comes not long after Dorvik retaliated by effectively boycotting the canal. The Alorian government has said Alorian will do the same, however the president also made it clear today that the best way to ensure the situation is brought to an end is for retaliatory tariffs to be placed on Aldegar by all the nations effected. The tariffs placed on Aldegarian goods is 25%, equivalent to the tariffs placed on Alorian goods passing through the canal. The government made it clear they endorse free trade but Aloria will not be "bullied by socialists any longer".

Aldegar has also banned any Alorian military vessels from passing through the canal. Defence Minister Iorwerth Bowen said this is "irrelevant" as Aloria has no need to use the canal for military operations "in the foreseeable future". However, he still "strongly condemned" the decision, claiming Aldegar was "slowly, but surely, becoming a rogue socialist state"; he also raised concerns about the "ridiculously huge increase" in defence spending by the Aldegarian government.

[Rogue]

Aldegar stops oil supply to Aloria, calls on Kafuristan to do the same

[IntruderEmerald]

Aloria holds firm after emergency cabinet meeting


The president looked worried as he exited the emergency cabinet meeting

The government has announced it will not drop its 25% import tariffs on Aldegar, despite the Aldergians announcing they will cut their oil exports to Aloria. The president made an emergency statement condemning the "dangerous socialist Aldegarian regime", and said "Aloria is now a more stable, strong nation capable of dealing with these situations".

We strongly condemn the Aldegarian governments decision to cut their oil supply to Aloria, and we will do everything we can to mitigate against the impacts this could have. Not only do I condemn this, but I also condemn the horrific actions of the Aldegarian government to execute political opponents. Ten years ago, Aloria was the sick man of Artania - now, we are not. Aloria is now a more stable, strong nation capable of dealing with these situations, and we refuse to be bullied by democracy-destroying socialist regimes. We will continue to impose a 25% tariff on Aldegarian goods. If Aldegar is concerned about this, the solution is simple - give Aloria an exemption to the canal tariff regime.

Lots of Alorian people are rightfully concerned about the oil supply being squeezed by the Aldegarian regime, but lets make this clear. We are a proud trading nation and we get our oil from various sources. Notably, this is a chance for us to boost our domestic oil production. There are various ways to mitigate against the Aldegarian decision. However, we fully understand the implications it may have on our oil supply and inflation. Nevertheless, in a time of economic growth, we can cope with the impacts.

President suggests creation of "free trade area" in response to protectionist Aldegar

President Griffith has suggested a "free trade area" should be created in response to the rising protectionist agenda of the Aldegarian regime. The president reached out to other nations to join him in his bad to create an alliance of nations who favour free trade to come together and negotiate a free trade deal. This idea was also mentioned by Foreign Affairs Minister Quirin Böcker, who said it would be a "good way to encourage Aldegar to drop their agenda".

[IntruderEmerald]

As oil shortage hits, Aloria looks elsewhere

As the oil shortage begins to feel noticed in Aloria, after Aldegar's decision to cut the oil supply to the nation, the government has decided it will not back down. Instead, the government has announced it will source its oil elsewhere, mainly from neighbouring Dorvik and ally Kazulia - it is thought the government is in discussions with Kazulia currently about the situation. The close proximity of Dorvik may help to reduce oil prices in the long-term, however there are short-term issues for Aloria to deal with; namely, their overreliance on Aldegarian oil. The government has admitted there are challenges ahead, but insist the problem is manageable. Recently, Aloria called for other nations to follow their lead and impose retaliatory sanctions on Aldegar, but this has yet to happen, with most nations favouring the Dorvish position of effectively boycotting the Aldegar canal.

The rising tensions between Aldegar and Aloria have caused some disruptions Aloria's economy, which was starting to grow at a faster rate before the start of the trade war. Inflation has been rising, meaning real terms wage growth has rapidly contracted. GDP is now growing at a much slower pace, growing at 0.9% in the first quarter of the year (down from 1.9%), with forecasts for the second quarter showing growth will slow to 0.3%. There are now fears Aloria could enter into another recession, as more figures released today showed consumer confidence is at its lowest point since the last recession. The president has said "there is no need for immediate panic", and has once again encouraged Aldegar to drop its anti-Alorian policy agenda. There is now a growing concern amongst people, some in his own party, that the president has dealt with the situation badly and is risking Aloria's economic future just a few years after the Libertarians managed to turn the economy around.

[Auditorii]

Dorvish News Service: Dorvish oil company offers to boost Alorian shipments in wake of Aldegar crisis

[IntruderEmerald]

President Griffith invites President Florian Regismund von Rohr-Mauss for state visit

President Griffith has invited President Florian Regismund von Rohr-Mauss for a state visit, after the Dorvish government stood by Aloria in the face of economic aggression from Aldegar. After Aldegar cut their oil supply to Aloria, the Alorian government refused to back down in the face of an energy crisis. Thankfully for Aloria, Dorvik has decided to increase their supply of oil to Aloria. The president said this was a "sign of a great relationship between our two nations" and some government officials believe the this could lead to cheaper energy prices, due to Dorvik's close proximity to Aloria.

In a speech after the Dorvish announcement, President Griffith invited the Dorvish president for a state visit in order to discuss the matter and to discuss further step in order to reduce tensions with Aldegar. The tariffs placed on Aldegar by Aloria earlier this year remain in place. The president has made it clear they will remain in place until Aldegar cuts the tax on goods passing through the Aldegar canal. Griffith met with several business leaders today, as there are rising concerns of the effect the current economic tensions are having on businesses and the economy. GDP is expected to grow in the final quarter of 4652 by 0.2%, after it contracted by 0.4% in the third quarter.

[IntruderEmerald]

President Griffith looks to improve ties with Dorvik

- President cautiously signals his support for Artanian League
- Aloria plans for "comprehensive trade and defence treaty"
- President Griffith hopes Dorvik can part-fund Aloria's military in return for a guarantee of support for future Dorvish military operations

Not long after the departure of the Dorvish president, following the week-long state visit, the Alorian president hinted that he would like to build on the "special relationship" between Aloria and Dorvik. Supporting Dorvik's aims of reducing tariffs, the president said this could lead to more cooperation on defence and other foreign policy matters. Indeed, President Griffith has stated he would like to see Aloria and Dorvik formulate a "common foreign policy agenda" in order to establish the Dorvish-Alorian alliance as one of the closest and most notable in Terra. Furthermore, the president has cautiously expressed support for Artanian League. Despite the Libertarian Party being historically being a Artaniasceptic party, taking Aloria out of the now defunct Artanian Union on many occasions, the president has he hopes for more cooperation in Artania. There are many Libertarian senators who are critical of the president's intentions, stating "this party has never supported an institutionalised Artanian state". However, the president dismissed their claims as "ludicrous", saying the Artanian League has "different ideals and end goals" to the defunct Artanian Union.

Following the Dorvish president's state visit, the Dorvish Ministry of Defence offered to "modernise and work to professionalise the Alorian Armed Forces and build a strong bilateral defence and security relationship with the Alorian people". The Alorian government has announced it is "keen" to get started will close cooperation surrounding defence. Leaked plans from the Ministry of Defence show the Alorian government is hoping for the Alorian and Dorvish army to carry out joint defence exercises, and for the Alorian military to be part-funded by Dorvik as part of a "comprehensive trade and defence treaty" with the Dorvish. In turn, Aloria would guarantee their support for any future Dorvish defence operation.

[Auditorii]

ASIM claims world-wide terrorist attacks

[IntruderEmerald]

Terrorist attack latest: security services under intense scrutiny as suspects flee to Dorvik

The president has strongly condemned the international terrorist attacks carried out by the Ahmadi State. The Alorian attack took place in Craigtref, where an improvised explosive device was detonated near Craigtref Main Station, a very busy public transport interchange. 8 people lost their lives in the attack, and a further 21 are in critical condition. The attack led to the station being temporarily closed - some services are now running on a delayed timetable. Aloria has not suffered a major terrorist attack in many years. National security services have released a statement, saying "the rise of terrorism internationally is also seen here in Aloria. We must do more to ensure these attacks do not take place. One of the steps we have now taken is to open a terrorism hotline, which we urge anyone to call if you notice anything suspicious."

The security services are being heavily criticised today, after it has emerged the suspected attacks have fled to Dorvik. Some right-wing senators are claiming this is down to Aloria's minimal border controls. They have called for the government to take immediate action to temporarily impose harsh restrictions, or in some cases to close the border, until it can be ensured there is no further risk to national security. However, the government has said this is not the case, and the blame lies entirely with the security services. Within an hour of the attack, the attackers are said to have fled to Dorvik across the border with no issues, as the security services had not yet identified the suspects. Both Alorian and Dorvish security services are now working together to trace the suspects and extradite them back to Aloria. The government has announced it will open a public inquiry into the failures of the security services.

[IntruderEmerald]

President Griffith proposes draft treaty for Artanian cooperation despite some critics

- President Griffith proposes Artanian draft treaty, establishing defence and economic integration
- Controversially proposes free movement of people across borders
- Hopes Dorvik will be supportive of the proposals

President Griffith, who has signaled his desire for closer cooperation on an Artanian level in the past, has today released a draft treaty proposal establishing a "Framework For Artanian Cooperation". Despite the Libertarian Party's long history of being deeply Artaniasceptic, the president thinks it is strategically advantageous for Aloria, and other Artanian nations, to form what he calls an "AU-lite" organisation that enables close cooperation on economic matters as well as defence, security and foreign policy.

When the president announced his intentions, many were concerned the treaty would go too far, meaning a loss of national sovereignty. When the draft was published early today it was immediately criticised by many in his party for being far more than an AU-lite organisation, instead aiming for a closer union. One unnamed Libertarian Senator told a newspaper today that he is considering resigning from the party over the matter if the draft is not changed. Many others are also worried the draft may be amended by other nations, such as Dorvik who have announced in the past that they think some form of union of Artanian nations is a good idea. This could result in even more sovereignty being lost.

Some outside of the party have criticised the draft treaty for not going far enough. Some want a much stronger commitment to further economic and political integration, with the creation of institutions such as an Artanian Parliament and executive body. However, this draft doesn't outline any of these concepts. Others wanted the treaty to include the creation of an Artanian single market and a customs union, but the treaty only proposes a "Free Trade Area".

In its current form, the treaty establishes a free trade area, with frictionless trade. It also establishes the Artanian Defence Agency, which will be funded by Artanian nations, with the aim of convergence on defence policy. Perhaps most controversially, the treaty proposes the free movement of people across borders of signatory nations.

It is not yet known what the reaction will be internationally, however it is thought the president is hoping to get Dorvik on board first as he believes this will encourage other Artanian nations to follow.