State visit to Çakaristan by the President of Mercury

State visit to Çakaristan by the President of Mercury
Original title	State visit to Çakaristan by the President of Mercury
Language	Common Tongue
Author(s)	Gustaaf Vermeylen
Genre	Historical narratives
Location(s)	Çakaristan
(main) characters	Akbar Çakar Nick Perry
Timeframe	1693 AN

The State visit to Çakaristan by the President of Mercury is the first State Visit to Çakaristan by a foreign Head of State. This story is described as follows:

Arrival

Since the foundation of the sultanate, no foreign head of state had been to Çakaristan for a state visit. The President of Mercury, Nick Perry, is the first foreign head of state. As part of his tour of countries on the Apollonian continent, Çakaristan was the first to be visited. This was taken as a great honour in Agra, as well as an opportunity for the nation to establish new diplomatic relations.

When the presidential plane flew into Çakari, it was welcomed by air traffic control, in addition to which the plane was escorted to Agra by four SAC J39 "Flying griffin" jet fighters. From the plane, the President had already caught a glimpse of Çakaristan. Jabal al-Mada', the Antican Sea and the Sylfystan Peninsula. As the plane descended, the President could also see the capital better and better. High above the city, he could see the Red Fortress and the clearly structured lines of the planned city. The arrival of the President was announced to those present at the airport by the overflight of the fighter jets, which continued flying while the presidential plane slowed down for landing. After landing, the green carpet was rolled out for the staircase, at the bottom of which stood the Vizier ud-Daula (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Honorable Aman Dalavi.

The President appeared with his wife and together they descended the stairs. The flags of Mercury and Çakaristan flew side by side, the cloudless sky and warmth of the sun completed the picture of the first impression. The President and the Vizier shook hands, with the Vizier saying, "Welcome to Çakaristan! How was your journey?" The President thanked for the welcome and said the trip had gone well. The Vizier nodded and escorted the President to one of the waiting cars. The convoy left after the guests and Vizier got in. The road to the Red Fortress had a special middle lane, normally used by buses, but cleared for special transport. The President and his wife got their first impressions of the busy city. Construction work was still going on, but that is the case in any lively city. The city was no longer the big construction site that the President had been warned about beforehand.

Meeting an equal

The convoy stopped on the forecourt in front of the Red Fortress. The President was saluted as he alighted. There, the Grand Vizier, Honorable Jayanti Sinha, was waiting for the President and his wife. They greeted each other, while the cameras rattled for the best picture of this historic moment. Along with the Vizier, the President and Grand Vizier stood at attention as the Mercurian national anthem was played. Then the President was led by the Grand Vizier past the guard of honour. At the end, the President saluted the Commander of the Guard of Honour as a sign that the Guard of Honour was accepted by him. The Grand Vizier escorted the President across the bridge to the main gate of the Red Fortress on the green carpet. The edge of the green carpet was decorated with gold thread in the pattern of the Sultanic seal. At the main gate, they were received by the Nawab ka Mahal (Lord of the Palace), Ayush Bajpeyi.

The President and his wife were led through the magnificent corridors of the palace. The Grand Vizier spoke about the palace and was clearly proud of her country. They were led through the Hall of Columns, where the President was amazed at the architectural beauty of the hall. Forty columns that carried the Babkhan curved roof. Arriving at the end of the hall, the President's arrival was announced: "mahaamahim, main aapake lie nik peree, raashtrapati vain markaree ko prastut kar sakata hoon" (Your Majesty, may I present to you Nick Perry, President of Mercury). Unlike the arrival of an ambassador, when a head of state arrived, the Sultan did not sit on his throne, but stood in the middle of the Hall of Mirrors. After all, the Sultan was meeting an equal. "Your Excellency, welcome to Çakaristan. We are honoured to receive you," the Sultan said to the President. The President replied, "The honour is all mine, Your Majesty". For the photo opportunity, the men turned to the cameras while maintaining the handshake. A few moments later, the Sultan said, "May I also introduce you to my wife, the Sultana". Jodha approached and greeted the President. The President too introduced his wife to the Sultan and Sultana.

Then the Sultan invited his guests for tea. In the adjacent room, all kinds of Çakari delicacies were served to the guests. The President and his wife enjoyed it very much. That evening, the guests were taken to the Red Fortress guesthouse. Their suite had a wide view of the city. In advance, the President had already indicated that he did not want the State Banquet to take place on the first evening. He suffers from jet lag. The Sultan respected this of course and the programme for the state visit had been adjusted accordingly.

President's Speech

The next morning, the President and his wife were picked up to go to the National Monument. The Grand Vizier was also present and together they walked towards the National Monument. The Grand Vizier told about the monument, the Sylvanian National Awakening and the foundation of the Sultanate. A fire was kept alight, in permanent remembrance of the victims. After the music was solemnly played, the President walked with the Grand Vizier past the marble slabs engraved with the names of the victims.

Then it was a short walk through the park towards the Parliament building. There was an opportunity for the President and his wife to have some photos taken in the beautiful park. In the hall of the Parliament building, the President and his wife were received by the Speaker. A short tour was given of the library and the hall where the Declaration of Independence is displayed. The President's wife is escorted to the public gallery, while the Parliament Speaker goes to his seat. The Speaker announces the President of Mercury: "Honourable members, it is my honour to announce: the President of Mercury!" The members stand up and start applauding. The President enters the main hall, nods to the members. On the platform, where the platform stands, there is also a large seat. A throne-like seat. The President was allowed to sit on it. The tradition is that heads of state may sit on that seat, but heads of government must remain standing.

The President opened the meeting and welcomed the President of Mercury. The President then stood up and took the floor. When the members ceased their applause, the President began to speak:

"Dear President, honourable members,

I have watched the development of your nation with admiration. In a short time, your nation has become one of the major players on this continent. It was also my greatest wish to be the first to visit this nation in my tour of the continent. The fall of Krasnocoria would leave a void in eastern Apollonia. Your struggle, the Sylvanian National Awakening, has brought new life to this part of Micras. I pay my respects to the victims who gave their ultimate sacrifice for this cause. Your freedom, your nation.

In Mercury, including myself, there is great appreciation for democratic developments. Your nation is the second most populous nation, but because of your democratic developments, the largest democracy on Micras. This, while your nation exists for only six Norton years. My nation has existed for thirteen Gregorian years and has had stable borders for a long time. Your borders are ever expanding. May I humbly remind you of the danger of overstretching? In the past, great empires have collapsed under their own weight. Let not this nation, your nation, be the next example of that.

This nation is in dire need of a solid infrastructure. We have seen the construction of railway lines. In this, my nation can help you. We have extensive experience in building railway lines, for example, the Trans-Keltian Express. This railway line is cross-border. Something we would like to help you with. You have recently signed a treaty with the International Mandate, which makes the first cross-border railway a reality. In addition, your Sultan has expressed to me his dream of building a tunnel under the Jaris Strait to connect the Khanate of Jabal al-Mada' with mainland Çakaristan.

What my country can learn from your nation is its rich culture. We dance and sing too little. Maybe it is the cold, but from here you can say that it is too hot. Therefore, my appeal is: let's strengthen each other together!

Thank you".

The Members of Parliament give a standing ovation for this speech. The President nodded gratefully to the Members. The President handed the text of the speech to the President for inclusion in the minutes of this session.

Treaty signing

After the President and his wife had returned to the Red Fortress, the Grand Hall was a gathering of all sorts of dignitaries. The Grand Vizier and the Vizier ud-Daula were present, as well as Mercurian diplomats. The Sultan arrived and after a cordial handshake, the Sultan invited the President to take a seat behind the ready table. Two copies of the treaty between Çakaristan and Mercury were presented to the two heads of state. Both signed them and then the copies were exchanged. Again she signed them. With the undersigned treaties facing the cameras, they shook hands. Afterwards, the group was treated to music: