The Guardianship had always had an odd relationship with the greater international community. It was a thriving democracy, but it's neighbors were constantly flowing in and out of anarchy. One had threatened conflict and was bellicose to the point where the Guardianship had just ended it's war with them, and now Afghan Islamic Fundamentalists had unified under some government and were causing issues to the south. Furthermore, the ISA had granted the Guardianship observer status but sheer geographic distance and the Guardianship's odd relationship with democracy and some of the ISA's different ways of implementing democracy had always made it a weird fit. The powerful states in India ranged from outright absolute monarchies to more communists to crazy religious cults, and the Guardianship had no reason to take them any closer in than at arms length. Yet, the Popular Front that had formulated and created the Guardianship was built on the ideals of democracy and liberalism and was by no means an isolationist state, especially when it's import-heavy economy required it to be active in maintaining trade routes and sources of resources. Thus, when news of a republic, albeit one built on very old ideals, had formed in the wastes to the West there was buzz within the Guardianship to formulate a working business relationship and learn of this new potential partner.