‘In short, before considering any formal proposals regarding a cooperation between your Alliance and the city, the consulate wants to have a clearer impression of whether you are the sort of person whose proposals we should be welcoming at all. So it has been agreed that I would first have a word with you to better understand where you stand on certain issues that have been, let’s say, reason for doubt among the better-informed citizenry, and that we will continue to more concrete negotiations if and only if we feel there is any use in doing so.’
