Rakvere Pact

The Rakvere Pact, formally the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense, is bilateral defence treaty signed in Rakvere, East Kaljurand, between the Kaljurand Republic and the Republic of Mordvania. The Rakvere Pact was later complemented with North Brigidnan Customs Union, signed in 1588 between both countries. The Rakvere Pact was created in reaction to the "cold peace" consequence of the division of Kaljurand in East Kaljurand and West Kaljurand, and the failure of consequent negotiations to find a final agreement to unify the country in a joint government.

The Rakvere Pact was established as a deterrent to to tensions between East Kaljurand and West Kaljurand, and as a counterweight to Nerysian support to West Kaljurand.

Nomenclature

In both Mordvania and East Kaljurand, the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense is known both as by its official name and the more popular Rakvere Pact. In foreign media, the Rakvere Pact is often called the Mordvanian-East Kaljurand Pact, abbreviated MEKPA or MEKP.

Structure

The main headquarters of the Rakvere Pact are located in Mestarka, Mestarka Voyvodeship, Republic of Mordvania. A $500 million headquarters building began construction in 1582, was completed in late 1585, and dedicated on 17 Zechyr 1586. The 200,000 square metres complex was designed by Kaljuran architect Ene Eenpalu and home to a staff of 2,800. The staff at the Headquarters is composed of national delegations of both member countries and includes civilian and military liaison offices and officers or diplomatic missions and diplomats of partner countries.

In the practice, the policies of the alliance are established by joint negotiations of the leadership of both governments. However, 1584 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense and other agreements outline how decisions are to be made within the Rakvere Pact. The Council of Mestarka, formed by five representatives of both governments, is a body which meets together at least once a week and it has officially governance authority and powers of decision in the alliance. The meetings of the Council of Mestarka are chaired by the Secretary General of the Rakvere Pact and, when decisions have to be made, action is agreed upon on the basis of unanimity and common accord. There is no voting or decision by majority, and any decision and agreement needs to be ratified by both members of the alliance.

The senior permanent members of the Council of Mestarka are generally senior civil servants, experienced ambassadors, or active military officers of both countries. Defense ministers of both East Kaljurand and Mordvania often attend the meetings of the council, as well as other representatives of both governments. Several countries have diplomatic missions to the Rakvere Pact.

Along the Council of Mestarka, the alliance has a military body, the Joint Military Committee, in charge of the Unified Armed Forces of the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense, and chaired by the Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Rakvere pact. The Unified Armed Forces are mostly integrated by East Kaljuran forces deployed along the Central Kaljurand Demilitarized Zone, and Mordvania's Republican Guards and Mordvanian Armed Forces deployed in East Kaljurand.

Although the treaty does not establish any requirement in formation or nationality, the Secretary General of the Council of Mestarka has been always a civil East Kaljuran representative, while the Supreme Commander has been a high-ranking Mordvanian military officer.

Strategy

The official strategy behind teh formation of the Rakvere Pact was driven by the policy of unification of Kaljurand under an united democratic republic, and to defend East Kaljurand from aggressions by West Kaljurand and its allies. This policy is believed to be driven by both ideological and geostratic reasons.

In other countries, the alliance was seen as both the desire to strengthen East Kaljurand as a buffer state to prevent invasion of Mordvanian territory by Central Brigidnan powers and as military bullwark aimed to spread Mordvanian-inspired republican governance and democracy in Central Brigidnan by diplomatic, political, and military means.

History

In late 1577, shortly after signing of the Denil Accords, Mordvania deployed military forces in East Kaljurand officially aimed to train the recently created East Kaljuran military. Previously, Mordvania had deployed 5,000 Republican Guards in order to protect humanitarian convoys in the country. As negotiations between East Kaljurand and West Kaljurand repeatly failed, cooperation between East Kaljurand and Mordvanian increased, including the deployment of Mordanian navy in East Kaljuran coast, and the building of three Mordvanian military bases in East Kaljuran territory. On Vintyr 1579, the governments of Mordvania and East Kaljuran signed an agreement in which granted Mordvanian military to be deployed in East Kaljuran territory for a 15-year period.

Increasing warmongering rhetoric by the West Kaljuran government after the failed negotiations of 1581, and a more hostile policy by the Kingdom of Nerysia, as well as internal tensions, led to East Kaljurand and Mordvanian to strengthen and consolidate their alliance. In late 1581, the Mordvanian parliament approved a second aid package to East Kaljuran, and started negotations for a new military agreement and a trade deal between both countries.

Finally, in Septem 1584, the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense was signed in a meeting in Rakvere, East Kaljurand, attended by representatives by both countries. The treaty consolidated a joint political and military alliance between both countries, and allowed Mordvanian Armed Forces to be permanently deployed in East Kaljuran soil.

Members

The Kaljuran Republic and the Republic of Mordvania, as two signatories of the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense, or Rakvere Pact, pledge the mutual defense of any member who would be attacked. Relations between both countries were based upon mutual non-intervention in the internal affairs of the member countries, respect for national sovereignty, and political independence.

Secretaries General of the Rakvere Pact

Former East Kaljuran defense minister Peeter Lipping was selected the first Secretary General of the Rakvere pact on 27 Septem 1584. He was replaced by Rein Pevkur in 1587. In between, the position was occupied temporarily by Vitomir Jama, former Minister of National Security from 1573 and 1577, as acting Secretary General.

#	Secretary General	Nationality	Took office	Left office	Length of term
1	Peeter Lipping	East Kaljurand	Septem 1584	Dein 1587	3 years
—	Vitomir Jama	Mordvania	Dein 1587	Elva 1587	1 month
2	Rein Pevkur	East Kaljurand	Elva 1587	Today	Incumbent

Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces

Since the creation of the Rakvere Pact, the Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces has also served as the Chairman of the Joint Military Committee of the Rakvere Pact.

	Name	Branch	Term began	Term ended
1.	General Dalibor Mezohar	Mordvanian Army, Republican Armed Forces of the Republic of Mordvania	Septem 1584	Vintyr 1586
2.	General Wieslaw Lubanowsky	Mordvanian Army, Republican Armed Forces of the Republic of Mordvania	Vintyr 1586	Today

Northern Brigidnan Customs Union

Background

On Elva 1583, the Republic of Mordvania and the Kaljuran Republic signed a free-trade agreement (FTA), reducing trade barriers -import quotas and tariffs- between both countries aimed to increase trade of goods and services with each other. Four months later, the Republic of Mordvania granted all East Kaljuran citizens permission to travel and stay in the Republic of Mordvania without a visa.

After the signing of the Kaljuran-Mordvanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Defense, also known as Rakvere Pact, in Septem 1584, further talks for increasing the economic cooperation and trade between both countries continued. In late 1584, it was announced that both government had put together a joint commission on fostering closer economic ties. In 11 Alvan 1586, it was reported that both countries were discussing the establishment of a joint customs union. The move was received with some criticism in East Kaljurand, as many feared such agreement would grant Mordvanian companies dominance to the East Kaljuran economy. However, talks between both countries continued.

The establishment of a customs union between Mordvania and East Kaljurand was understood as a move determinated in order to strengthen the Rakvere Pact, but also as a reaction of failed negotiations to a free-trade agreement by the Republic of Mordvania with the West Brigidnan Economic Agreement and the Nylander Republic, respectively.

While the Republic of Mordvania and the Kaljuran Republic are both members of the Rakvere Pact and the Northern Brigidnan Economic Union, both are independent organizations, without official relation between them. Mordvanian minister of Economic Development Wladyslawa Kolodka openly declared on Dein 1587, that other countries could be consider to join the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union in the future, without being required to sign a similar military agreement with the Republic of Mordvania. "The Rakvere Pact was a consequence of the political situation after the Kaljuran civil war", Kolodwa declared, "while the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union is first and only an attempt to promote trade and economic integration, in order to both building peace and cooperation and strengthening our national economies in an increasing competitive world".

The Kaljuran parliament approved to establishment of the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union in late 1587, after months of heated discussions. A similar resolution was passed by Mordvanian parliament in early 1588. Finally, the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union was officially established in Septem 1588, in a ceremony held in Keskula, East Kaljurand. East Kaljuran President Taavi Harsepii and Zvezdana Serebryak, President of the Republic of Mordvania, signed the original and final treaty in Keskula town council building. Ministers, elected representatives, and veterans of the Kaljuran civil war attended the meeting. The Northern Brigidnan Customs Union will came into existence on 1 Alvan 1589.

Karjelinn, Saratov, Harmajaa, and Sappa have reportedly been rumoured to be in negotiations to join the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union.

Overview

The Northern Brigidnan Customs Union is a customs union which currently consists in East Kaljurand and the Republic of Mordvania.

No customs are levied on goods travelling within the customs union and members of the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union impose a common external tariff on all goods entering the union. One of the consequences of teh customs union is that the Northern Brigidnan Council -the body in charge to implement and supervise the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union- negotiates as a single entity in international trade deals, instead of individual member states negotiating for themselves.

It came into existence on 1 Alvan 1589. Its founding states were Republic of Mordvania and the Kaljuran Republic, to the date, the only state members. The Northern Brigidnan Council is the regulatory agency for the Customs Union, formed by 7 representatives.

Criticism

The Kingdom of Nerysia opposes the Northern Brigidnan Customs Union, claiming it as an attempt to "establish a Mordvanian-dominated republican empire in Central Brigidna". A spokesperson of the West Kaljurand government denounced the Customs Union as "economic annexation by the Republic of Mordvania of Kaljuran territory".

See also

• Republic of Mordvania
• Denil Accords