there is an argument to be made that compared to the other nations within the organisation, Lodamun remains the most resistant to becoming deeply involved in the inner machinations of the Luthorian Commonwealth despite being a member of the vast majority of the organisation’s core structures. Much of this hesitation has been chalked up to Kensington’s long-harboured suspicions of the organisation’s usefulness especially against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, its reservations related to the commonwealth were certainly set to the side as President William Hanlon, accompanied by a delegation of high-level policy and decision-makers, led a major diplomatic visit to Fort William, Luthori to discuss forging deeper ties between Lodamun and Luthori. The visit, which had been alluded to by the Luthorian Foreign Office months prior, had been the subject of years of high-level planning between Luthorian and Lodamese diplomatic officials. As one of the world’s leading economies and contemporarily, Artania’s fastest-growing economy, the visit’s significance to Lodamun’s ever-evolving relationship with the Artanian continent certainly hinged on the relative success of the otherwise landmark visit. Amidst the collapse of the centuries-long Dorvish-led economic and geopolitical order on the continent, the Holy Luthori Empire has risen to take Dorvik’s place, albeit under varying circumstances. The nation has weathered numerous geopolitical storms including the migrant’s pass crisis, the Ikradon civil war and brief or otherwise sudden burst of energy from the Artanian Union. “Luthori’s rise to dominance on the Artanian continent is certainly set against the backdrop of the decline of Dorvik. Just as that nation had its time in the sun, so too would Luthori,” chided Dr Matthew Reynolds, a Professor of Geopolitics and Strategic Leadership at the University of Barrington. According to Dr Reynolds, Luthori’s “time at the top” felt different to its predecessor, noting the nation’s far less confrontational nature. Lodamun’s relationship with Dorvik could be considered cordial, in that although the nation was once the means by which Lodamese products gained access to the wider Artanian market, by nature of its relative slip into geopolitical insignificance, the mode of the two nations’ relationship has certainly changed. Dr Reynold noted that although the State Department would never openly state it, its actions namely President Hanlon’s visit, was a clear indication that the once firm strategic partnership between Lodamun and Dorvik had run its course and that in order to secure continued access to the Artanian consumer market, Lodamun would have to find a new partner on the continent, which it has through Luthori.
During the visit, President Hanlon met with numerous officials within the Luthorian Government including Luthorian Prime Minister Alfred Black, Foreign Secretary Orville Horgan, and Industry Secretary Edward Mitchell; alongside representatives of the Luthorian business community in a tempo echoing a previous visit by the Secretary of State to Yingdala. President Hanlon was accompanied by high-ranking members of the Lodamese cabinet including Secretary of State Jennifer Toule, Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ann Taggert and Merchant-General Adam Runt. In a broadly informal meeting between the delegations, President Hanlon reaffirmed Lodamun’s commitment to remain within the Commonwealth, however holding sort of expanding the nation’s involvement in structures related to defence. At a press conference outside Crown Street, President Hanlon stated that the Lodamese Government was not interested in a mutual security agreement with Luthori, recognising its ever-expanding role and presence throughout the globe would enhance the likelihood of mutual defence articles being triggered. Nonetheless, he noted that Lodamun was interested in a very strong security relationship, including intelligence and technology sharing, joint exercises and training, excluding obvious articles related to mutual defence. Merchant General Runt stated that his discussions with his Luthorian counterparts had resulted in a firm commitment to discuss a Comprehensive Trade Agreement between the two parties, separate from the current arrangements being facilitated through the Commonwealth. According to Secretary Toule, such an arrangement was prepared as Lodamun viewed its relationship with Luthori as one which would transcend beyond the structure of the Commonwealth itself. A subsequent visit by the Merchant General has been agreed upon wherein the broader details of the two nations’ trade relationship will be discussed. Seemingly separate from the delegation, Director of National Assessments Edward Walsh, who arrived on the final day of the week-long visit, held a series of high-level discussions with Luthorian security officials including Home Secretary Ted Doyle and the Director-General of the Imperial Security Service (ISS). As the titular head of the Lodamese security and intelligence community, Director Walsh’s visit is likely related to the establishment of a formal working relationship between the ISS and the Lodamese National Investigations Bureau (NIB), the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). the Office of Defence Intelligence (ODI).