Zilatra Declares Independence!
GASZALASI — Today the government of Zilatra has officially declared its complete independence from the Dominion of Sentara. The office of the General Secretary released a statement shortly ago formalizing this independence.
This marks the nullification of the Agreement on the Strategic Vassalization of Zilatra, a document which has governed Zilatran-Sentaran relations for nearly the last century. Every single former General Secretary has, in some form or another, attempted to reshape these relations, though it is only now that a change has come under the new General Secretary Ivan Iuminov.
This comes after extensive periods of debate, a fierce "Zexit" movement, many failed votes, protests, and condemnations from both governments. Most recently, Zilatran and Sentaran officials drafted the Treaty of Good Farewells which sought to establish a peaceful secession of Zilatra from its vassalship. This made a record-breaking 84% approval in Zilatra. However, Sentara rejected the treaty, with many politicians being quoted as seeing the treaty as an offense, and that the vassalship should be maintained, whether or not Zilatrans disapprove of it.
In the aftermath of Sentara's rejection of the Treaty of Good Farewells, the government sought to declare independence with or without Sentaran consent with the established rights guaranteed to Zilatra through the agreement. In spite of this, the statement released by the Iuminov administration showed a continued commitment to friendship with Sentara and the continuation of positive relations. Official commentary from the Sentaran government has not been given. Now that a decision has been reached, many remain hopeful that good relations may be restored, albeit without a system of vassalship involved.
Crowds gathered at the Black House in Gaszalasi hours before the statement was delivered, where journalists reported crowds applauding the initiatives of the failed Treaty of Good Farewells and shouting "Save Zilatra!" among other chants. When the referendum for the treaty in Zilatra ended, the crowd celebrated the effort, before Magerius Ukumari II of Sentara announced that the same treaty had failed in Sentara and therefore was not recognized.
After this, the Zilatran state issued the pre-prepared Declaration from the Zilatran State Regarding Independence, to the vibrant surprise and celebration of Zilatrans across the country.
During the announcement of the Declaration, General Secretary Iuminov stated the following:
After a year of strategic vassalization, on Karl Marx's birthday, and on the 5/5/25 at 17:00 (5 PM) BST, we will be declaring independence from Sentara. Throughout this time we have had good and bad times with them, mostly good, and we hope to continue good relations with them as we take our new course in our history and continue to see each other as sister nations ... The trajectory of our future will now be completely in our hands!
