Zealandian territories ceded to Sirocco

Rathlyn, HB, Apr 14 – Sirocco will tomorrow morning wake up with its boundaries stretched much further with the impending acquisition of Zealandia’s New Zealand territories.

Zealandia and Sirocco tonight formally agreed on a document to cede Zealandia’s land in Canterbury, New Zealand to Siroccan control.

The Treaty of the Cantabrian Provinces formally cedes the Zealandian municipalities of Greater Hagley, Magja, Sandford, and Turaspolien to Siroccan control.

Greater Hagley and Sandford will become Territories, while Magja and Turaspolien are to become Dependencies.

Magja and Turaspolien will also be renamed to Maxia and Trinity, respectively, while Greater Hagley and Sandford will be left as-is. Magja’s renaming is to honour the life and achievements of Maxie Anderson, a prominent Siroccan Labrador, while Turaspolien’s change to Trinity hails Sirocco’s Atomic Age culture by honouring the first test of an atomic bomb in 1945.

Premier Daniel Anderson said that “the Federal Commonwealth of Sirocco is extremely pleased that the strong bonds of trust and friendship between our nations has resulted in a mutually agreeable treaty of cession and is a fine display of Zealandian confidence in the Siroccan nation and its people.”

Zealandian Grand Duke Håkon Lindström said to the Zealandian Gazette that “We are most pleased to formally hand over these fine municipalities to our good friends in Sirocco, this treaty shows the good trans-Tasman trust and friendship that has developed between our Federation and the Federal Commonwealth of Sirocco”.

Opposition leader Nicholas Woode-Smith took a different approach, however, stating to the Times that “Sirocco continues to grow unabated. As ethical citizens, we must halt this land seizure in order to maintain the de-centralized and free system we take for granted.”

The new acquisitions will be grouped together into the Region of Lindström, named after the Grand Duke of Zealandia, and will be represented by the Southern Dependencies seat in the Executive, although the Siroccan government has said this is purely on a temporary basis.

The four new parcels of land will be formally transferred at 1AM NZST tomorrow morning (midnight Zealandia time).