NETO

The Near East Treaty Organization (NETO), also called the Near East Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between several Near East states based on the Near East Treaty that was signed on 1570s.

NETO constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. NETO Headquarters are located in Tarkek, Zargistan, while the headquarters of the NETO Command Operations is in Qenderë, Kyrzbekistan. Members' defense spending is supposed to amount to at least 2% of GDP by 1590.

Article 6 of the Near East Treaty, requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack. NETO Joint Forces were deployed for first time during the Wadiyah Civil War, jointly with Khanid and with the cooperation of Angiris and Carpathia and Moldova, enforcing a non-fly zone over the country, and in charge of the occupation of the country for four years. The organization has operated a range of additional roles since then, including sending trainers to Wadiyah and Aricca, assisting in counter-piracy operations. After the breakup of Wadiyah in 1579 in West Wadiyah and East Wadiyah, NETO forces were deployed again in the country.

Originally, the alliance was founded by Zargistan, Ga'bath and Kyrzbekistan. Since its founding, the admission of new member states has increased the alliance from the original 3 countries to 6?. Khanid joined in 1575, while Aricca did in early 1577. A'Sir was accepted as observer early in 1573, while West Wadiyah was granted that status in 1580.

History

Beginnings

The People's Republic of Ga'bath and the People's Republic of Zargistan strengthened their ties in the 1560s with a series of bilateral treaties and agreements. They envisioned the creation of a regional alliance along with other states of the region, in order to promote Zargistani and Ga'bathi interests and to defend the region and themselves from foreign intervention of most powerful states.

Ga'bath President Basham al-Laham, in a speech in Takar on Zechyr 1568, called Akhadic countries to overcome their diffencse to greater common good of regional unity", which was understood at the time as nothing but empty rhetoric. However, it was announced in late 1569 that Zargistan and Ga'bath were in advanced negotiations to propose a military alliance to nearby countries. The alliance, originally named Akhadic League, was said to be open to all Akhadic states of the region. Along Ga'bath and Zargistan, Khanid, Aricca and Kyrzbekistan were reportedly invited to join the new regional organization. However, Khanid and Aricca rejected it, because they distrusted Ga'bath and Zargistan's intentions, while Kyrzbekistan, as a secular state, was uncomfortable with the apparently religious orientation of the alliance.

Therefore, at the point the project seemed rather unsucessful. However, after Zargistan and Kyrzbekistan signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1570, the idea of a regional organization was revived. After long negotiations between Zargistan, Ga'bath, and Kyrzbekistan, the original draft was subject to important changes, all mentions to Akhadism removed from the treaty (except a nominal mention of the Akhadic faith in the preamble), and the name of the alliance renamed to Near East Organization. Finally, representatives of Ga'bath, Zargistan, and Kyrzbekistan signed the Neast East Treaty Organization on 24 Septem 1572, in the city of Laham, Ga'bath.

Stagnation and consolidation

Prospects of NETO enlargement seemed constrained by the situation in Mithraina and rivalry between Kyrzbekistan and A'Sir which avoided that the latter could join the alliance, despite successful negotiations between Zargistan and A'sir.

A'Sir would be accepted as observer to the Near East Treaty Organization in 1573.

Wadiyah civil war and NETO's enlargement

NETO were deployed in a war conflict time during the Wadyian Civil War, invading the country along a joint invasion by NETO, Khanid, Aricca, Mithraina, and with the cooperation and assistance of Angiris and Carpathia and Moldova. NETO forces, along Khanid, would be encharged with the occupation of the country after the war. Khanid, already an observer member in 1574, became a full member of the Near East Treaty Organization in 1575. Aricca joined a year later.

NETO forces left Wadiyah in 1578, after a transitional Wadiyan government was left in charge of the country until the 1579 presidential elections. However, after the 1579 Wadiyan constitutional crisis and the following breakup of Wadiyah, NETO forces were redeployed in West Wadiyah.

Galasian civil war

Officially, NETO remained neutral during the Galasian civil war, although several NETO members (including Zargistan, Khanid, Aricca, and A'Sir) recognized Rojadavi breakup from New Galasia. Some NETO members, mostly Zargistan along A'Sir, supplied humanitarian aid and weaponry to the Rojadavi rebels, and, some claimed, deployed volunteer forces to fight against Rojadavi separatist forces against both Akhadist militias and Galasian forces.

Some NETO members were, along Angiris, the first to recognize Rojadavistan's second declaration of independence in 1585, although Kyrzbekistan did not officially recognized Rojadavistan as a sovereign state until 1587. Since 1585, NETO has been supplying Rojadavistan with humanitarian aid and assisting in the construction of destroyed infraestructures. Zargistan and A'sir, two NETO members, have been training the recently created Rojadavi Armed Forces.

After being elected president, Sa'ad Buhaghiar, first Rojadavi head of state after independence, promised that Rojadavistan will apply to membership in the NETO.

Near East Treaty

Article 1

I. The Near East Treaty Organization shall be composed of the: independent sovereign states that have signed this treaty.

II. Every sovereign Near East state shall have the right to adhere to the Treaty. Should it desire to adhere, it shall present an application to this effect which shall be filed with the permanent General Secretariat and submitted to the Council at its first meeting following the presentation of the application.

Article 2

I. The purpose of the Treaty is to draw closer the relations between member states and co-ordinate their political activities with the aim of realising a close collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Near East countries.

II. It also has among its purposes a close co-operation of the member States with due regard to the structure of each of these States and the conditions prevailing therein, in the following matters: Economic and financial matters, including trade, customs, currency, agriculture and industry; (communications, including railways, roads, aviation, navigation, and posts and telegraphs; Cultural matters; Matters connected with nationality, passports, visas, execution of judgments and extradition; Social welfare matters; Health matters.

Article 3

I. The Organization shall have a Council composed of the representatives of the member States. Each State shall have one vote, regardless of the number of its representatives.

II. The Council shall be entrusted with the function of realising the purpose of the League and of supervising the execution of the agreements concluded between the member states on matters referred to in the preceding article or on other matters.

III. It shall also have the function of determining the means whereby the League will collaborate with the international organizations which may be created in the future to guarantee peace and security and organise economic and social relations.

Article 4

I. A special Committee shall be formed for each of the categories enumerated in article two, on which the member States shall be represented. These Committees shall be entrusted with establishing the basis and scope of co-operation in the form of draft agreements which shall be submitted to the Council for its consideration preparatory to their being submitted to the States referred to.

II. Delegates representing the other Near East countries may participate in these Committees as members. The Council shall determine the circumstances in which the participation of these representatives shall be allowed as well as the basis of the representation.

Article 5

I. The recourse to force for the settlement of disputes between two or more member states shall not be allowed. Should there arise among them a dispute that does not involve the independence of a state, its sovereignty or its territorial integrity, and should the two contending parties apply to the Council for the settlement of this dispute, the decision of the Council shall then be effective and obligatory.

II. In this case, the States among whom the dispute has arisen shall not participate in the deliberations and decisions of the Council.

III. The Council shall mediate in a dispute which may lead to war between two member States or between a member State and another State in order to conciliate them

IV. The decisions relating to arbitration and mediation shall be taken by a majority vote.

Article 6

I. In case of aggression or threat of aggression by a State against a member State, the State attacked or threatened with attack may request an immediate meeting of the Council.

II. The Council shall determine the necessary measures to repel this aggression. Its decision shall be taken unanimously. If the aggression is committed by a member State the vote of that State will not be counted in determining unanimity.

III. If the aggression is committed in such a way as to render the Government of the State attacked unable to communicate with the Council, the representative of that State in the Council may request the Council to convene for the purpose set forth in the preceding paragraph. If the representative is unable to communicate with the Council, it shall be the right of any member State to request a meeting of the Council.

Article 7

I. The decisions of the Council taken by a unanimous vote shall be binding on all the member States of the Organization; those that are reached by a majority vote shall bind only those that accept them.

II. In both cases the decisions of the Council shall be executed in each State in accordance with the fundamental structure of that State.

Article 8

I. Every member State of the Organization shall respect the form of government obtaining in the other States of the Organization, and shall recognize the form of government obtaining as one of the rights of those States, and shall pledge itself not to take any action tending to change that form.

Article 9

I. The States of the Near East Treaty Organization that are desirous of establishing among themselves closer collaboration and stronger bonds than those provided for in the present Pact, may conclude among themselves whatever agreements they wish for this purpose.

II. The treaties and agreements already concluded or that may be concluded in the future between a member State and any other State shall not be binding on the other members.

Article 10

I. The permanent seat of the League of Near East Treaty Organization shall be Tarkek. The Council may meet at any other place it designates.

Article 11

I. The Council of the Near East Treaty Organization shall meet in ordinary session twice a year, during the months of Marth and Dein. It shall meet in extraordinary session at the request of two member States whenever the need arises.

Article 12

I. The Organization shall have a permanent General Secretariat, composed of a Secretary-General, Assistant Secretaries and an adequate number of officials.

II. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the Council upon the vote of a general concensus of the States of the League. The Assistant Secretaries and the principal officials shall be appointed by the Secretary-General with the approval of the Council.

III. The Council shall establish an internal organization for the General Secretariat as well as the conditions of service of the officials.

IV. The Secretary-General shall have the rank of Ambassador; and the Assistant Secretaries the rank of Ministers Plenipotentiary.

V. The first Secretary-General of the Near East Treaty Organization is designated in an annex to the present Pact.

Article 13

I. The Secretary-General shall prepare the draft of the budget of the Organization and submit it for approval to the Council before the beginning of each fiscal year.

II. The Council shall determine the share of each of the States of the League in the expenses. It shall be allowed to revise the share if necessary.

Article 14

I. The members of the Council of the League, the members of its Committees and such of its officials as shall be designated in the internal organization, shall enjoy, in the exercise of their duties, diplomatic privileges and immunities.

II. The premises occupied by the institutions of the Organization shall be inviolable.

Article 15

I. The council shall meet the first time at the invitation of the Head of the Ga’bathi Government. Later meetings shall be convoked by the Secretary-General.

II. In each ordinary session the representatives of the States of the Organization shall assume the chairmanship of the Council in rotation.

Article 16

I. Except for the cases provided for in the present Pact, a majority shall suffice for decisions by the Council effective in the following matters:

• Matters concerning the officials.
• The approval of the budget of the League.
• The internal organization of the Council, the Committees and the General Secretariat.
• The termination of the sessions.

Article 17

I. The member States of the Near East Treaty Organization shall file with the General Secretariat copies of all treaties and agreements which they have concluded or will conclude with any other State, whether a member of the Organization or otherwise.

Article 18

I. If one of the member States intends to withdraw from the League, the Council shall be informed of its intention one year before the withdrawal takes effect

II. The Council may consider any State that is not fulfilling the obligations resulting from this Pact as excluded from the Organization, by a decision taken by a unanimous vote of all the States except the State referred to.

Article 19

I. The present Treaty may be amended with the approval of a general concensus of the members of the Organization in particular for the purpose of strengthening the ties between them, of creating an Transnational Court of Justice, and of regulating the relations of the League with the international organizations that may be created in the future to guarantee security and peace.

II. No decision shall be taken as regards an amendment except in the session following that in which it is proposed.

III. Any State that does not approve an amendment may withdraw from the League when the amendment becomes effective, without being bound by the provisions of the preceding article.

Article 20

I. The present Treaty and its annexes shall be ratified in accordance with the fundamental form of government in each of the contracting States.

II. The instruments of ratification shall be filed with the General Secretariat and the present Treaty shall become binding on the States that ratify in fifteen days after the Secretary-General receives instruments of ratification from four States.

See also

• Kyrzbekistan
• Ga'bath
• Zargistan
• Wadyian Civil War