Assumption Accords

Assumption Accords

Long name: Framework for Peaceful Co-Existence on Urlazio and Sarpedon
Signed	2014

The Framework for Peaceful Co-Existence on Urlazio and Sarpedon, more commonly known as the Assumption Accords, was an agreement reached by the governments of Caphiria and Urcea, settling long standing disputes over territorial boundaries on Urlazio. The agreement entailed territorial cessions of the Ecinis peninsula from Talionia and the island of Coribus to Caphiria in exchange for Caphirian recognition of New Yustona and Urcea's involvement in The Deluge, a demilitarization of Caphirian Urlazio and parts of southern Talionia, in addition to creation of free trade zones in the same areas. As part of the agreement, Urcea ceased recognition of the Veltorine government-in-exile and ordered it to leave Talionia, where it had resided since the end of the Second Great War. The negotiation provided for a separate agreement reached later between the two powers allowed for Caphirian investment into Urcea's Cronan sphere territories and protectorates, which was reached later in early 2015. Former Procurator and Special Envoy to Caphiria Michael Witte lead the negotiating team for Urcea. The Accords are widely agreed to have brought about the end of the Occidental Cold War, and also opened the door for further negotiations that resulted in the Eight Points Agreement, ending the schism between Caphiria and the rest of the Catholic Church.

Background

As part of a general policy of containment and defense of the Holy Levantine Empire specifically and Levantia in general, the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea adopted a policy of gaining land to create a buffer between the growing Caphirian influence and itself while continuing its expansion into the Sea of Canete. At the end of the War of Veltorine Independence, Urcea acquired a small strip of land on eastern Urlazio with several ports and fortresses in order to protect Urcean interests in the Kingdom of Crotona, and these territories were organized as the Kingdom of Talionia. These events created the Caphirian perception of Levantine Creep, sparking several centuries of animosity between Urcea and Caphiria and a source of diplomatic tension between the two countries.

Negotiation

Low level negotiations between Urcea and Caphiria began as early as 2009, with Urcean diplomats interested in including Caphirian investors in projects in New Yustona and other future area in Punth, but were rebuked after the Caphirian Government publicly began a "No-Deals-Without-Urlazio" policy, elucidating no peace agreements without at least a full retrocession of the lands gained by Talionia from Caphiria after the Second Great War and preferably the cession of all of Talionia. Low level talks began after Urcean diplomats offered to return the island of Coribus and the strategically vital Ecinis peninsula in southern Talionia. These talks continually escalated until high level negotiations - including between King Riordan VIII and Imperator Constantinus I themselves. Urcean negotiators finally agreed to cede the Urlazio Strip to Caphiria following Riordan's intervention; it is claimed that the King informed negotiators to work with an "assume good faith" attitude towards the Caphirians.