Foreign affairs of Natopia

The Coat of Arms of the Court of the Calm Waters

The foreign affairs of Natopia are formally handled by the Natopian emperor, although in practice they are carried out by the Court of the Calm Waters. See also the Visa policy of Natopia.

Overview

Natopia's foreign policy is centered around support of its close and long-term allies, securing trade deals, supporting human (or non-human sentient lifeforms) rights, containment of rogue nations, interpersonal alliances developed by the House of Waffel-Paine, supporting the mission of the Micras Treaty Organization, and supporting the Raspur Pact.

Traditionally, Natopia has always extended de facto recognition to all members of MCS. This remains true except for those nations deemed to be irredeemably lost and unworthy of contact.

Court of the Calm Waters

Natopia's Secretary for Foreign Affairs serves as an official of the Imperial Court of Natopia as Chamberlain of the Court of the Calm Waters. As a member of the Emperor's court, the Secretary is under the full command of an Imperial decree, however the Emperor delegates most foreign policy decisions to the Secretary, who is often an expert in the field of diplomacy and international relations. The current Foreign Secretary, Dr. Mishti Lohani, holds advanced degrees in economics and geography, and a Ph. D. in Political Science.

List of foreign missions

Country	City	Status	Head of mission	Consulates-General	Consulates	Notes
Raspur Pact	Lindström	Permanent mission	Baroness Ursula Brandt-Heller, DBH (1673 AN)	Raspur
Micras Treaty Organization		Permanent mission	Sir Marco Lungo, KNO (1668 AN)			Natopian delegate and Secretary General
Shireroth	Shirekeep	Embassy	Sir Ernest Hutton, KBH (1671 AN)	Kezan, Novi Nigrad	Hawshire, Nordagaat
Unified Governorates	Merensk	Embassy	Major-General Dame Kara Goodman (Ret.), DNO (1671 AN)	Azeroth	Sansabury
Drak-Modan	Drakorda	Embassy	Baron George Ziff, CNO (1671 AN)	Dracoheim, Modan Hamlet, Lyhigh	Karamola, Raynor Point, Twoggle, Sara-Nyl
Elwynn	Eliria	Embassy	Edwin Drakling, CP (1671 AN)	Elijah's Rest, Kingsgate, Ardashirshahr	Smjorkyr, Mishalan, Tsofnhofn
Alduria-Wechua	Cardenas	Embassy	Baroness Katrina Scott, DNO (1681 AN)	Punta Santiago, Parap	Alkhiva, Roanne, Behaurnais, Norvind
Constancia	Astérapolis	Embassy	Dame Priya Stanley, DNO (1676 AN)	Aqaba, Raspur	Mehrshahr
Floria	Northcliff	Embassy	Derrick Willis, ANO (1680 AN)	Dragonmoor	St. Edwin's
Ransenar	Goldfield	Embassy		Goldshire Hamlet, Demonsfall	Airle, Timothea
Sanama	Sanama City	Embassy	Taran Brook, CNO (1679 AN)	Niyi	Soli, Fatehpur Sikri

Foreign Relations and Visa Policies

The Foreign Secretary of the Bovic Empire is open to discussing visa travel policies with all nations. Natopia prides itself on its welcoming and open culture and would be delighted to consider reciprocal relaxed visa policies.

• Positive: Relations are productive, nations share common goals, projects, and little to no substantive policy disagreements.
• Amicable: Relations are friendly, open to more interaction and projects, little to minor policy disagreements.
• Neutral: Relations are cordial. Mostly reserved for nations that have had no formal contact with Natopia or operate in separate spheres of influence that do not intersect with Natopia.
• Wary: Relations remain cordial if not cold, past histories or wars may prevent warming of relations in the immediate future. Substantial policy differences prevent interactivity.
• Negative: Significant differences between policy prevent dialogue or conversation.
• Hostile: Evidence of overt or covert hostilities againt Natopia or an ally of Natopia.

Country	Outlook	Visa requirement	Notes
Arbor	Negative	Travel prohibited	Reluctance to leave the Vanic Web has forever tainted the ruler and his domains.
Alduria-Wechua	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact. Natopia and Alduria are close trade partners. Natopia is Alduria's largest trade partner, providing most of Alduria's key imports of food, water, clothing, medicine, and many other important goods and services. Huge amounts of foreign direct investment from Natopia into consumer goods, manufacturing, and hydrocarbon extraction and exploration have fueled Aldurian economic growth. A special relationship between Natopia and Alduria-Wechua is fast becoming a cornerstone of Natopian foreign policy, above and beyond the allied relationship currently existing as Raspur Pact members.
Barbary	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet.
Bassarid Periphery	Negative	Visa required	Outlook tied to Bassarid Empire.
Bassarid Empire	Negative	Visa required	Disagreements from Normark situation, confrontation in War of the Lost Brothers, and Norse and Natopian cultural appropriation in Bassarid Kingdom of New Normark.
Batavia	Wary	Visa required	Prior negative experiences with Batavia have left Natopia wary of future interactions with the state in its post-Vanic life. Despite a strong working relationship in the past, which included sharing and selling space technology, ceding Cape St Sherrith so Batavia could reclaim its homelands, and the marriage of Clara Sundara to the former king (which was met with pushback from the Batavian government insulting the Natopian emperor, his sister, and the Natopian people), Batavia unilaterally leaving a Treaty of Friendship, and constant turmoil in Batavian politics lead to it succumbing to Vanicism.
Calbion	Wary	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO. The lack of LGBT rights in Calbion will prevent any meaningful diplomatic interactions with Calbion.
Chryse	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Constancia	Amicable	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact. Reduced from Positive to Amicable over disappointment over lack of LGBT rights in Constancia,
Craitland	Amicable	Visa on arrival	The very definition of "Amicable." Positive outlook and impression of Craitland, but no formal bilateral arrangements.
Drak-Modan	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact, dynastic union under the House of Waffel-Paine
Elwynn	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact. Consider each other to be sibling nations. Natopia's closest ally. Long history of intertwined relations. Natopia was for a brief time an Elwynnese protectorate. During 1678 negotiated, without animus, the transfer of sovereignty that brought the reunification of Normark with Elwynn.
Floria	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact
Freeland	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Graecia	Wary	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO. Any bilateral interaction with this state is unlikely due to the founder's public statement about being "generally anti-LGBT."
Goëtia	Amicable	Visa on arrival*	SATCo has trade and resource monopolies in Goetia which includes freedom of movement between Waffel Plains and Goetia. Goetics going to other parts of Natopia may apply for a visa on arrival.
The Hexarchy	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
International Mandate	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Jääland	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Jingdao	Negative	Travel prohibited	Former tense rivals, several wars, cold wars, skirmishes, proxy wars. Enjoyed an informal, yet uneasy, truce for several years until 1686 with the sudden and unwarranted accusation of Jingdaophobia was leveled at the Natopian government. For decades, the Natopian government has tolerated the capricious, arrogant, and fickle Jingdaoese government with varying attempts to make peace, reticence to wage wars until drawn in, and several periods of non-confrontation and non-interaction. Natopian citizens are not permitted to travel to Jingdao out of safety for their lives. Natopia, a strong advocate for the MTO and its mission, also finds Jingdao's history with the MTO to be indicative of Jingdao's erratic and paranoid leadership which deters any possibility of future diplomacy when the hard work of Natopian diplomats can be so carelessly disregarded without thought and seemingly at random.
Kalgachia	Neutral	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO
Lostisland	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Meckelnburgh	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Mercury	Amicable	Visa not required	Reciprocal arrangement: Mercurian citizens may enter Natopia with only a Mercurian passport and stay for 28 days, with extensions up to 90 days, as approved by the Office of Citizenship.
Nova England	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Palesmenia	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Phinbella	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Ralgon	Neutral	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO
Ransenar	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact
Réunion	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Sanama	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact
Sanpantul	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet
Senya	Positive	Visa not required	Natopian and Senyan diplomats have historically welcomed each other, with President Hands touring Lindström in late March 2013. President Hands has also attended Natopian events. The two's shared border in Arboria has been a source of positive constructive development, including the construction of a rail network between the cities of Dyas and Meiridosa.
Shireroth	Positive	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact
Suren Confederacy	Neutral	Visa required	No contact
Tellia	Neutral	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO
Thracistan	Neutral	Visa required	Interactions through the MTO
Unified Governorates	Amicable	Freedom of movement	Raspur Pact. Reduced from Positive to Amicable over lack of clear and definitive support for LGBT rights in the Unified Governorates.
United Isles	Positive	Visa not required	90 days reciprocal agreement.
West Skerry and Sri Pashana	Neutral	Visa required	No formal contact yet

Treaties and international agreements

Natopia is a signatory to the following international agreements and treaties:

• Treaty of General Membership to the Micras Treaty Organization;
• MTO Convention of the Law of the Seas;
• Small Treaty of Non-Aggression;
• Micras Intellectual Property Protection Act (MIPPA);
• Treaty to Establish the Intermicronational Commission;
• The Shirerithian, Alexandrian, and Natopian Entente (Raspur Pact Treaty);
• Treaty of the Matrimonial Palace (Shireroth);
• Pact of Perpetual Friendship (Constancia)
• Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation (Alduria-Wechua)
• Treaty of Lükanburg (Senya)

Trade agreements

For a complete picture of Natopia's trading arrangements and agreements please see Economy of Natopia.

Refugee Policies

The Bovic Empire is committed to providing a safe shelter for displaced peoples across the world. Anyone may present themselves at a Natopian border crossing or port of entry and declare themselves to be a refugee or asylum seeker.

Political Asylum

Dissidents from countries who show a reasonable fear of persecution for promoting democracy and other civil freedoms enjoyed by Natopian citizens. Political asylum shall be temporary and granted at the discretion of the Foreign Secretary, who shall apply diplomatic pressures to create an atmosphere of political diversity for the dissident in their homeland.

Victims of Genocide

Victims of genocide, forced displacement, forced cultural assimilation, and other methods of mass-subjugation of a minority, shall be afforded refugee status and provided resources for 3 years to establish themselves as members of Natopian society. Acceptance of resources carries with it a commitment to remain in Natopia for those 3 years.

Vanic Refugees

A special status given to defectors from lands affected by the Vanic Taint. Must show a reasonable fear of persecution due to non-compliance with Vanic culture, or having suffered sexual, mental or physical abuse due to Vanic culture. Requires a 30 day quarantine after being granted. During quarantine, psychiatric services are provided. Valid for one year and contingent on ten-year residency in Natopia.