Foreign relations of Zanarkand

They are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Zanarkand's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to strong bilateral relations with its allies. Key concerns include free trade, terrorism, refugees, economic co-operation with Asianna and stability in the Asianna-Pacificanna. Zanarkand is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Zanarkand's imports of major weapons increased 65 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, making it the sixth largest importer in the world according.

It has become steadfastly allied with New Akiba, through long-standing ZANAK ties dating back to the early 1900s, as well as the United Kingdom, throughout the First Europan War and since.

Commonwealth of Nations

Zanarkand is one of the major members of the Commonwealth of Nations together with the UK, Nihhon-koku, New Akiba, Rubrum, Erebonian Empire, and Gallia-Bruhl.

Zanarkand-United Kingdom Relations

Zanarkand-United Kingdom relations are close, marked by shared history, culture, institutions and language, extensive people-to-people links, aligned security interests, and vibrant trade and investment cooperation. The long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and Zanarkand formally began in 1901 when the six Lucian Crown colonies in Zanarkand federated, and the Commonwealth of Zanarkand was formed as a Dominion of the Lucis Empire. Zanarkand fought alongside Lucis in the First Europan War and again in the Second Europan War. Andrew Kurokawa, Zanarkian prime minister from 1914 to 1916, declared that Zanarkand would defend the United Kingdom "to the last man and the last gil." Until 1949, the United Kingdom and Zanarkand shared a common nationality code. The final constitutional ties between United Kingdom and Zanarkand ended in 1986 with the passing of the Zanarkand Act 1986. Currently, roughly 1/4 of the Zanarkian population was born in the UK, giving strong mutual relations. Furthermore, investment and trade between the two countries, is still important.

Zanarkand-New Akiba Relations

Also referred to as Trans-Besaid relations ("relations across the Besaid Sea"), are extremely close with both sharing Lucis colonial heritage as Antipodean White Dominions and settler colonies as well as being part of the wider Luciosphere. New Akiba sent representatives to the constitutional conventions which led to the uniting of the six Zanarkian colonies but opted not to join; still, in the Lucio-Auro and in the First Europan War and Second Europan War, soldiers from New Akiba fought alongside Zanarkians. In recent years the Closer Economic Relations free trade agreement and its predecessors have inspired everconverging economic integration. The culture of Zanarkand does differ from the culture of New Akiba and there are sometimes differences of opinion which some have declared as symptomatic of sibling rivalry. This often centres upon sports such as rugby union or cricket or in commercial tensions such as those arising from the failure of Ansett Zanarkand or those engendered by the formerly long-standing Zanarkian ban on New Akiba apple imports.

Both countries are Commonwealth realms sharing the Head of the Commonwealth as Head of State in universal suffrage supported systems of Westminster representative parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy.

Zanarkand-Nihhon-koku Relations

Zanarkand and Nihhon-koku Relations are extremely close. Apart from both being members of the Commonwealth and sharing the head of state, Nihhon-koku from the 1960s up to the present is Zanarkand's second biggest trading partner after Joyonghea. In recent times the relations have expanded beyond strong economic and commercial links to other spheres, including culture, tourism, defense and scientific cooperation. Zanarkand is a predominant source of food and raw materials for Nihhon-koku. In 1990, Zanarkand accounted for 5.4 percent of total Nihhonese imports, a share that held relatively steady in the late 1980s. Zanarkand was the largest single supplier of coal, iron ore, wool, and sugar to Nihhon-koku in 1990. Zanarkand is also the largest supplier of beef in Nihhon-koku.

Asianna

Zanarkand-Joyonghea Relations

Of all Asianna nations, Joyonghea is the country that Zanarkand is close with the most. Their relations date back during the Second Europan War when Joyonghea became desperate for support after it had been turned down by the Atlantic Federation, Aurucolia and the Lorican Empire during the Quenminese invasion or the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War. Zanarkand was the first country to react and the UK, New Akiba and Rubrum followed. Negotiations went through and Zanarkand deployed its troops in 1940. Zanarkand became the major ally of Joyonghea as well as being the most active Commonwealth country to deploy its troops. The relationship also extended into Zanarkian general Edward Samegawa and Joyonghean general Chae Hwa-young's love story to the point that it had become the main point of Zanarkian-Joyonghean Relations. The couple has been regarded as the heroes of the Zanarkand-Joyonghea Relations and has been depicted in the film, Flower Ring.

Zanarkand is also Joyonghea's largest importer of beef and is far cheaper than Rubrumian beef or Nibelheimian beef in the Joyonghean market. Zanarkand also has been a supplier of military arms to Joyonghea as well as providing sugar, tea, cotton, iron and copper.