At the discretion of the Emperor of Stomaria, the Empire will establish formal relations with other nations.

Allies

Allies are nations that have established formal relations (normally involving trade agreements or other mutually beneficial arrangements) with the Empire, having met the necessary criteria, agreed to the terms and conditions for an alliance and been approved by the Emperor of Stomaria. These terms and conditions are less restrictive than those that nations seeking to join the Empire as a member state must adhere to but there are also far fewer benefits.

Some of the specific benefits that an ally can expect would include the following:

• Citizens of the nation will be permitted to attend summits, gatherings, festivities, markets and other events.
• The nation will be advertised across Stomaria's website and social media accounts.
• The governing body of the nation will have the opportunity to establish trade agreements with Stomaria and member states of the Empire.

In order for a nation to qualify as an ally, the following criteria is considered:

• Longevity - when was the nation founded?
• Consistency - how often has the nation changed its name, flag, government structure and so forth?
  
• Maturity - how old is the highest authority of the nation and have they taken part in activities that would bring Stomaria into disrepute?
• Ideology - are the values and objectives of the nation compatible with Stomaria's?
• Activity - does the nation have a proven track record of consistent activity and progress?
• Territory - where is the claimed territory of the nation and what does it consist of?
  
• Community - has the nation developed a verifiable community and cultural identity?

In order for a qualifying nation to become an ally, the following terms and conditions must be agreed to:

• The highest authority of that nation must not engage in any activity that could bring Stomaria into disrepute.
• The highest authority of that nation must remain active and engaged with Stomaria.
• The nation must accept staters as a medium of exchange.
• The citizens of that nation must be able to communicate in English as a first or second language.

These benefits, qualifying criteria and terms and conditions are subject to change and are regularly reviewed.