From: The Kingdom of Belgium
To: The United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Spanish Empire, the Second French Empire, the Swiss Confederation, The Kingdom of Bavaria, the Kingdom of Prussia, the Austrian Empire, the Kingdom of Romania.
Brussels, April 1861
To the Rulers of the European nations
We, His Majesty Leopold I of Belgium, extend a hand of friendship to the nations of Europe. Having earned our independence just thirty years ago, We realize that the other nations of Europe may look at us with distrust, wariness or even hostility, but We hope that through diplomacy and trade, we may strive to leave the past behind us and turn our focus to the future. Europe's history is marred with conflict. From the days of the first organized tribes vying for supremacy across Europe, to the conquests of the Romans, to the invasions of Hunnic, Mongolian and Turkic hordes, to the unrelenting wars of the Middle Ages up until today, Europe has been at war with itself.
We are of the opinion that this must be stopped. Other powers are emerging globally. Some of Our neighbors have seen their American colonies revolt and declare independence. The Russian Empire is struggling under its own weight. Soon, they will clash with the Ottomans and the Qing once more. The Americans are fighting their own civil war. This is a time for Europe to strive for unity and expand its interests around the world. Africa holds vast untapped riches. Linking trade routes between Africa and the Far East would make us all rich.
We welcome envoys from all European nations to Brussels, and in turn, We hope that Our own envoys are welcomed around Europe as well.