Arriving in Astoria, one of the newest inductees to the International Democratic Union, Bishop made navigated her way around the political upheaval in Zamastan and instead worked up diplomatic introductions with the people of the Federal Republic of Astoria.
President Bishop shook hands with Prime Minister Robert Paisley upon exiting the Presidential plane in the capital of Footscray before taking a tour of the city with the PM, his wife Louise, and his entourage of political allies in the Labour Party.
With heavy security in Astoria, Bishop’s motorcade drew a peculiar amount of attention. Astoria is a famously peaceful nation, with no overarching military. The discussions undertaken during the diplomatic lunch with Bishop and Paisley steered away from conversations about Zamastan’s intertwined conflict in Vulkaria and any military deals, and instead focused on constructing and moving embassies to each other’s nations to begin direct openings of consistent diplomatic relations.
As the first Zamastanian President and one of the first IDU leaders to visit Astoria, Bishop pledged “a strong, healthy, and thriving relationship that foreshadows the relationship (the) nations will have for ages.” In addition to the opening of diplomatic relationships, Zamastan and Astoria are also planning to begin a widening of trade negotiations, including that Zamastan’s Department of Commerce will commit up to Z$1 billion in financing to support exports to Astoria. Zamastan will support lending to small and medium businesses across Astoria that will result in more than Z$1 billion in loans in underserved rural and urban markets. The Zamastan Trade and Development Agency will aim to leverage nearly Z$2 billion in investments in renewable energy in Astoria.
Robert Paisley also pledged to visit Zamastan in good time, which is guaranteed to boost the already promising and fruitful relationship of the two nations.