Minister of State Toquauhtli told Xiomeran state media today that “a deal is possible” concerning the creation of an Imperial colony in Taragai. He cautioned, however, that any such deal would be dependent on it “meeting the economic and demographic needs of the Empire”.
The Minister said that the Empire was “willing to negotiate on the finer details” of the ongoing Imperial presence in Taragai. “We believe we can negotiate an understanding that would satisfy both the security concerns of the nations of Hesperida, and meet our own legitimate concerns as well. Such a deal would be far preferable to the unpleasant alternative.” Minister Toquauhtli warned, however, that the Empire “is not going to reverse course in Taragai.” He added that nations rushing to intervene against Xiomera in Taragai “should consider the consequences of such intervention, and whether it is worth the cost.”
“What are so many nations willing to risk the lives of their young men and women over? What are so many nations willing to spend both blood and treasure for?” the Minister asked reporters. “The western half of Taragai was left to languish for decades under a repressive communist regime, and no one bothered to intervene. What is the reason now, other than softhearted and misdirected activism?” The Minister touted the advantages that Xiomeran “development and management” of western Taragai could bring both to the people living there, and to the wider world. “Under our leadership, western Taragai could become a mighty economic engine that advances the prosperity and progress of all of Hesperida, rather than the undeveloped, fallow, moribund mess that it is now. We are more than willing to share the benefits of that development and progress with our new neighbors, if they are willing to see that our vision is the best path forward for western Taragai and share in the benefits of developing and improving the region.” Mutual development projects with other nations in Taragai “are certainly on the table, for nations that prove to be reasonable.”
The Minister strongly disputed the idea that the current government in Bor-Öndör could successfully develop the region, or meaningfully improve the lives of the people there. “The communists ruined this land. The government that has been cobbled together in Bor-Öndör…half of them are drones held over from the old communist regime and the other half are extreme activists. Neither side has any clue whatsoever how to run a country, and they spend more time squabbling with each other than figuring out how to do their basic job. All Bor-Öndör has to offer the lands under our leadership now are continuing paralysis and continuing decline.” The Minister also disputed the idea that foreign nations could help the Taragaian government figure out how to run the country. “What you will see happen is massive corruption, foreign funds disappearing into the coffers of government figures and oligarchs, and Taragai becoming just as much of a colony of foreign powers as it would be under us. The nations colonizing Taragai under that scenario just wouldn’t be honest or open about making Taragai a colony. But it would be the same result, except with Taragaians having even less opportunity and less say about how their homeland is run.”
Minister Toquauhtli offered a possible scenario in which negotiations could yield an acceptable outcome to all sides. “We recently negotiated a tricky diplomatic resolution to the situation in Milintica through mediation led by the government of Haesan. It’s not inconceivable that such a nation, which has been more friendly to us than others, could help bring its fellow Hesperidan nations to the table to come to a mutually acceptable resolution.” The Minister noted that Haesan’s leadership has been more “pragmatic” to Xiomera in the past than “other Hesperidan nations such as Laeral, which has taken an increasingly aggressive and interfering stance on affairs concerning Xiomera as of late.” The Minister said that, given the longstanding economic and social ties between the two nations, that Haesan “could possibly be a state we could work with.” He added that Laeral “is no longer a trusted partner, given everything from its role in our civil war, to the accursed Jinyu agreement which was ultimately aimed at boxing us in, to the falsified ‘human rights reports’ and sanctions now being aimed at us from Laeralsford.”
When asked if the surge in recent protests in Haesan against Xiomera was indicative of hardening feelings in that nation against the Empire, the Minister dismissed that possibility. “It’s entirely possible that there are more vocal and activist elements in Haesan that will urge their government not to take a diplomatic route. However, we can certainly hope for cooler heads to prevail.” He also added that Xiomera’s doors are open “to diplomacy from all potential parties”, as long as those parties are willing to consider Xiomeran needs rather than dismiss them out of hand. He also mentioned Libertas Omnium Maximus as a “potentially more pragmatic negotiating partner.”
“Trust me, resolving this dispute with words rather than other means is clearly preferable. And it is the preferred method, even now, for us to resolve this matter. It is up to other nations to decide that they want the same.”
While Xiomeran diplomats such as Toquauhtli seemed willing to offer many carrots in an attempt to convince other nations to not oppose their Taragaian ambitions, other Xiomeran figures remain more than willing to offer the threat of a stick instead. After Toquauhtli’s statement to the media, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Defense in the Imperial Parliament (and the country’s leading war hawk) Almahuatzan decided to take the Minister’s comments and run with them. In a series of posts on Xiomeran social media, the MP mused that Xiomera “could and should help nations that help us out. Xiomeran troops could just as easily be in Soeyan as they are in Taragai, for the right reasons. Xiomera could be a very powerful friend and ally to those who befriend us. We should be encouraging this.” The MP posted an hour later that “perhaps Xiomera should reassess, and reassert, its presence in Caxcana while we are at it. Xianjiapo, perhaps? The Netlcoatl Islands that Huenya took from us? The Canal Zone which was also stolen from us? Doi Nam? Our enemies should remember well that this Empire always has options for where it chooses to go, and even more options for defending those choices.”
Almahuatzan’s late-night posting spree was quickly labeled “personal posts from a politician and not official government policy” by the Ministry of State. However, multiple Xiomeran political, military and business leaders have issued statements of support for the MP and denouncing the “overly non-assertive” approach of the Ministry of State.
