Prime Minister Metrios Laskaris issued the following statement concerning the recent MPLE agreements: "The governments of Montfortslavia, Pepestonia, Leidestrad and East Moravia have announced their plans to form a trading bloc to include the implementation of a common currency. It is appropriate that these agreements were announced late last night while the hard-working people of the Balkans were sleeping, for the MPLE agreements are nothing short of a stab in the back by elitist nations that are not content to work alongside their neighbors, but rather, would rule over them with the iron fist of economic dependence. Our nation, and all other Balkans nations we suspect, were not informed of these negotiations and no part of the MPLE agreements mention expansion to other Balkan nations. As a result of these aggresive actions, our government has formally severed ties with Pepestonia, Leidestrad and East Moravia and the Emperor has cancelled his upcoming visit to Montfortslavia. All Byzantine citizens currently in those countries are requested to return home immediately. A travel advisory has been issued. We call upon all other Balkan nations to meet in Constantinople to discuss this crisis. We call upon our allies, both within the Balkans and without, to stand beside us and we call upon the heroic Byzantine people to pray for the Emperor as He guides us through these troubled times. God save the Emperor! God save the Empire!"

The MPLE Agreements are not a measure of contro or domination, neither an elitist form of non-cooperation. Our government and the other participating nations, have been THE strongest supporters of cooperation in the region.
This negotiations were well under way even before the formation of the Byzantine Territories and other nations.
We assure you, this is meerely relations bewteen 4 nations and there is no hidden agenda.

The President of the Free Republic of Thracia has issued the following statement:

My government had indeed been informed of plans to form a free trading bloc in the Balkan region. The initiator of these plans was Montfortslavia. Thracia was reluctant to be part in this initiative because one its goals was to form a common currency. Thracia's currency chryson is based on gold standard and we were not going to give up such a stable and strong currency.

We wish the MPLA negotiations had been less secretive. However, we consider the reaction of our neighbor and good friend, the Byzantine Territories, to be a little excessive. We are not threatened by the MPLE agreement and we see no reason why any other nation in the Balkans should feel threatened.

Thracia, in the meantime, is considering to sign a less comprehensive trade agreement with Byzantine Territories. Other nations that are interested in our initiative are welcome to contact our Commerce Ministry or the government of the Byzantine Territories.

Demosthenes Yagcioglu, President of Thracia.

the East Moravian delegation would like to make the following declarations:
Montfortslavia indeed has proposed a REGIONAL currency. The negotiations between Pepestonia and East Moravia were already beginig even during the Pleiades Region.
Due to war and relocation, those negotiations were halted. Montfortslavia proposed the currency region-wide and as such was invited. Leidestrad was added just to male 4 member nations.
Now, as many governments have explained so far, this is meerely an agreement between 4 nations, with no other purpose or hidden agenda.
SHOULD this unification, prove to aid our economy, the propsal would be made region wide, WITH FACTS THAT VALIDATED OUR CLAIMS

As for secrecy, this was an idea long tought of, and we wanted to keep it this way. We know it generates suspicion but details were agreed and negotiated upon, and we see no need for diplomatic complaints such as we have heard in the past hours.
Let us also remember, that in the last stance, this are 4 sovereign nations wishing to conduct their affairs with each others in this manner, in full compliance of the Balkan Peninsula Peace Agreement. We pose no treath to any nation neither shall we use the MPLE as a mean of cohercion or discrimination to any nations.

And as a personal note, maybe nations should start considering the advantages of this agreement. I mean, you WILL have a 4 nation-block with whom to trade much more easily.

The Holy Empire of Byzantine Territories stands by our position on the MPLE agreements. We have difficulty believing claims that the MPLE is a trial run for regional cooperation when one of its founding members is a corrupt dictatorship and another is an unorganized anarchy.

We will not interfere with the MPLE. We will however continue to oppose it through diplomatic and economic means. We would remind our neighbors that although we rank 21st out of 30 nations in terms of size, we are in the top 10 in Manufacturing, Arms Manufacturing, Cheese Exports, and Furniture Restoration and our economy is still growing.

We are saddened by the secrecy of the MPLE. The MPLE is wrong for the Balkans and wrong for Byzantine Territories. Until our fellow nations can include all Balkan nations in the formation of economic cooperation (instead of offering us membership in their personal "club", at a time to be determined later, whatever happened to democracy?), the Byzantine Territories will take its business elsewhere.

Sincerely, Prime Minister M. Laskaris