Ave, Sandum Citizens!
The Office of Sôgmô has concluded several actions today. The first is the long-standing addendum to the Foreign Affairs policy concerning proxy and indirect conflicts. The second is a response to the Lostisland government, which recently levied a protest against the State of Sandus for the Sôgmô’s use of “Monsieur” in addressing President Mar. In a brief note concerning diplomacy, as well, the Sôgmô shall be requesting the advice of foreign micronationalists concerning the State of Sandus’s “liaison” plan. However, first is the foreign affairs policy changes.
As a result of the Office of the Sôgmô’s proposal following Octobro (October), the Sôgmô has announced that the State of Sandus shall exercise caution in relations with foreign states so as not to engage in proxy conflicts with long-standing Sandum diplomatic adversaries. Practically, this means that the State of Sandus shall actively seek to promote peace and recognise all diplomatic partners as equal and sovereign — not as potential components of diplomatic feuds which have been used in the past to create power-blocs for diplomatic disputes. In other words, the State of Sandus shall maintain its commitment to the cause of Isolationism which has seen a rise in Sandus’s foreign affairs over the past few years. This addendum will likely be in place for the Winter period from now on, meaning that from late Octobro (October) to early Aprilo (April) the State of Sandus shall earnestly attempt to steer clear of proxy conflicts unless there is a provocation falling under Sandus’s Libera policy. In addition to this addendum, the State of Sandus shall seek to pioneer a multilateral “respect” agreement between many states concerning the various sovereign paths a state may follow and pursue; this “respect agreement” shall be a further buffer from unintended yet misplaced comments of a foreign state’s sovereign policies, such as Sandus’s Socialism.
The Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Lostisland has contacted the Central People’s Government of the State of Sandus, levying a protest on behalf of President Mar for the traditional Sandum usage of “Monsieur”. President Mar is the second foreign politician to have requested not to be addressed as “Monsieur”. Insofar, the Office of the Sôgmô has outright refused, recognising it as a cultural practice of the Sandum Government and of the Sandum People. The Central People’s Government has considered the Foreign Minister’s protest and has concluded that in all public discussion between both heads of state, the Sôgmô shall address President Mar as “Mister” (“Mr.”) or any other Sandum equivalent, such as addressing the President by his surname or by the title of his office. Requests for foreign heads of states to be addressed as “Mister” or another appropriate and equal address shall be accepted by the Office of the Sôgmô starting I A Decembro (1st of December). However, the Office of the Sôgmô shall remain firm in its commitment as foreign representative of the Sandum People and shall refuse any requests to address a foreign head of state in a manner incongruent with the Sandum culture when acting as representative of the Nation. This action as representative is extended to private discussions between heads of state and heads of government as well as such proclamations by the Sôgmô himself through the public media of the State of Sandus — such as Channum Unum and Veritum Sandus. Such forms of address to be privately and respectfully denied will include those which do not meet the State’s professional and seriousness requirements under Sandus’s Realism. The Office of the Sôgmô asks that foreign dignitaries respect the transition period from forms of address as the Central People’s Government adopts dignitary-specific addresses.
Pursuant to the Lostisland-Sandus Bilateral Diplomatic Relations Treaty (LISAT), the Sôgmô shall soon be sending a letter of protest to Foreign Minister Kostov concerning President Mar’s public comments against the State of Sandus on the topic of Sandum holidays, in violation of Article 4 of LISAT, though President Mar’s comments were not germane to the topic of the Veritum Sandus article In the Defence of our Holidays. The protest letter shall ask for a good-will outcome as a result of the public diplomatic action against Sandus and shall seek a bilateral agreement concerning discussions on both nations’ cultures and their cultural development.
— Sôgmô Sörgel
sandus.org 