Foreign relations of Barrayar
The foreign relations of Barrayar have spanned from the country's time as newly discovered planet, to its status as guerilla power against the Cetagandan Ninth Satrapy to its isolationist policies under its industrial recovery and its expansionist years, to its position as an active interstellar actor taking a key role in its Nexus region.
Having re-emerged from the international isolation of the expansion era back in 2920s, Barrayar has become a interstellar actor: Barrayar did not begin to emerge from international isolation until it managed to form the Hagen Hub Alliance in 2921. Within months of the 2921 Kline Station Treaty, Barrayar established diplomatic and economic relations with neighbours and also with some of the most important Powers.
Nowadays, its principal foreign policy objective is to develop good relations with all neighbouring countries and the other members of the Nexus community. Barrayar has played a key role in resolving (by force and by diplomacy) various conflicts and political crises in its Nexus region.
Overview
In external application, Barrayaran political agendas has been largely unified over the decades. Main goals focus on maintaining Imperial security and defence of both borders and vital interests through vigilance, and negating the perceived advantages of their rivals. Both goals are accompanied by a near-paranoid reticence to reveal information, even basic facts, that might illuminate about aims or motivations. Short of war, the means to those ends have generally varied between surreptitious political disruption of rivals and limited or surprise military action, often in conjunction or with the approval of other friendly powers. As a rule, the Barrayaran foreign policy aims to dispose of close allies (such as Pol or Marilac) or deniable proxies, such as mercenary organizations or political factions.
Sectors of interest
Barrayaran foreign policy has generally been based on the principles of bilateralism, long-standing dispute settlement, and non-abusive intervention in the affairs of planets outside its vital sphere. Barrayar's political, business, and military ventures are complemented by the country's trade policy. In Barrayar, the Ministry of of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Industry continues to dominate trade policy, causing the country's commercial interests to be at times subsumed by a larger foreign policy goal. However, trade corporations are powerful enough to influence the foreign policy itself. Barrayar's soft power diplomacy involves institutional strategies such as the formation of diplomatic-military coalitions to constrain the power of the established great powers (such as the Cetagandan Empire) as well as the elaboration and the spreading of Barrayaran-born political and cultural values.
Use of mercenary forces
Barrayar on an official level does not seek the use of mercenary forces. The current military/diplomatic doctrine holds dear the idea that private military/combat companies are useful only as pawns in shadowy proxy wars, and only when "volunteers" cannot be used for practical reasons. On the other hand, in some limited cases where the Empire of Barrayar must avoid diplomatic outrcry, some contractor services may be used; however, the use of contractors is not because the internal reactions, because the incessant propaganda says that the death of a soldier is the most honourable.
This long-standing policy had over the years one notable exception, i.e. the reliance of Barrayar on the famous Dendarii Mercenary Fleet. The relationship between Barrayar and Dendarii lasted for about fifty years; in late 2960s, a series of major ownership changes and structural reorganizations made the Dendarii more a sort of autonomous branch of the Imperial Military Service than a fully independent private military company. Nonetheless, the Dendarii are still used for operations which are precluded to the Imperial Service, although it is no longer a well-guarded secret.
Visa policy
Barrayar has a complex visa policy in order to discourage the uncontrolled transit of people, but without discouraging the transit via Komarr and Sergyar.
Visas for the Empire of Barrayar as destination must be required by prior application at the Barrayar's embassy or consulate abroad, or through a private visa service specialist who is specialized in the issuance of international travel documents. These agencies are authorized by the Barrayaran Ministry of Foreign Affairs only on planets where there is no diplomatic or consular facility; Barrayaran embassies and consulates provide an extensive network of subsidiaries on planets deemed strategically important, such as Beta Colony (the Barrayar's first ever strategic partner), Earth or Tau Ceti, or cloesly allied, such as Pol, Ylla and Marilac. On certain conditions, visas from some planets may be pre-arranged for pickup on arrival at the border.
Visas for the Empire of Barrayar as transit location (particularly for Komarr and Sergyar) may be picked up at the arrival to the first space station; for citizens of some countries (Marilac, Tau Ceti, Ylla and Pol) there is no need of visa for transit purposes only.
The issuing authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate General for Visas and Passports) and the Barrayaran Embassies, and consular affairs officers, may (and must) request appropriate documentation from the applicant.
The documentation which is requested by Barrayaran authorities for Barrayar as destination vary according the relevant planet or country, but most often include proof that the applicant is able to support himself (lodging, food), proof that the person hosting the applicant in his or her home really exists and has sufficient room for hosting the applicant, proof that they have had no criminal convictions (especially for long-term or permanent visas), and that they do not partake in certain activities, proof that the applicant has obtained health and evacuation insurance, proof of health status (especially for long-term visas); generally some illnesses preclude the issue of any visas. PolThe exact conditions depend on the country and category of visa.
For short-term visas, Barrayar also requires strong evidence of intent to return to the home country, due to potential unwanted illegal immigration. Barrayar has, in several periods of its history, denied visas if the traveler is a citizen of or has traveled in an hostile country (i.e. Cetagandan Empire and sometimes Beta Colony).
Barrayaran visas are single-entry; for some people a double-entry or even a multiple-entry visa may be issued. The multiple-entry visa is issued if there is a strong reason, and normally only transit visa are issued in this mood.
Once issued, a visa is to be used within a certain (short) period of time; this period of validity, due to necessities of interstellar travel, is necessarily longer than the authorized period of stay; a visa must be valid both in entrance and in exit. Therefore, if a visa has a validity of 90 days, the authorized period of stay must be up to 89 days.
Overstaying a period of authorized stay given by the immigration officers is considered illegal immigration and the offender may be fined, prosecuted, deported, or even blacklisted from entering Barrayar again, according the context and the severity of the offence; entering Barrayar without a valid visa or visa exemption results in detention and deportation or exclusion from Barrayar; also undertaking activities that are not authorized by the status of entry results in deportation and often in exclusion. However, the visa is simply a preemptive authorization, and the border authorities have the final say to allow the foreigner's entry.
Imperial Conference
The Imperial Conference is an extraconstitutional conference on foreign matters of grave national importance that was convened by the government of the Empire of Barrayar in the presence of the Emperor. Day-to-day affairs are managed by a cabinet system arranged around the Emperor as the head of state and the Prime Minister as the aide of the Emperor. However, on critical matters, extraconstitutional conferences are called to obtain final imperial approval for specific courses of action. As a rule, the Emperor listens to discussions, but remained silent through the proceedings. Typically attending the Imperial Conferences are (in addition to the Emperor himself):
- the Prime Minister;
- the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
- the Minister of Interior;
- the Minister of Finance;
- the Minister of War;
- the Chief of the General Staff.
Press announcements are typically issued immediately after each Confeence, listing attendees, what each person wear, and stressing the unanimity of any decision; actual decisions are made before, during the Imperial General Staff-Government Liaison Conferences.