State visit by Simon McClark to Polaris, January 2018

A state visit by Simon McClark to Polaris (srb: Državna poseta Simona McClarka Polarisu) took place from 10 to 13 January, 2018. President Simon McClark of the United Provinces was welcomed at the Polaris-City International Airport by Polarian President Catherine Howebrucke.

A formal invitation from the Executive Council of Polaris was sent to President McClark on December 27, 2017,

January 10

 * 10:15 AM: President Simon McClark and First Lady Evelyn Davis McClark arrive at Polaris City International Airport, greeted by President Catherine Howebrucke, Vice President Susanna Koehen-Rusgatt, and members of the Polaris National Guard
 * 11:45 AM: President McClark arrives at Federation House, the official residence of the President of the Executive Council greeted by the First Lady Brenda Wainsworth. Presidents McClark and Howebrucke proceeded to hold a working luncheon with members of the Executive Council in the East Ballroom.
 * 2:15 PM: President McClark and President Howebrucke lay wreaths and pay their respects to the fallen at the Frosian War Memorial, situated at the South Front of the Polaris Harborfront Center.
 * 3:00 PM: President McClark and President Howebrucke have a one-on-one meeting at the latter's private office in the Mercantile Manor at the Polaris Harborfront Center.
 * 5:45 PM: President McClark attends a soirée at Grayson Hall in the Polaris Harborfront Center with congressional leaders and members of the Polaris-Snowiny Interparliamentary Friendship Committee

January 11

 * 9:00 AM: President McClark and President Howebrucke, with their spouses, hold a private breakfast in the Conservatory at Federation House.
 * 11:15 AM: President McClark visits the Gateway Institute Museum of Antarctic History for a tour of exhibits and artifacts, later signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Polaris and the United Provinces on promoting cultural exchange with Museums and Archives Administration Director Stewart T. Stanley.
 * 1:30 PM: President McClark and the First Lady arrive at the Continental Pavillon at Promenade Park for a luncheon with state legislators from across Polaris, including Governors Tandon (NW), Frendyse (EN), and Travers (WK).
 * 3:45 PM: President McClark addresses a Joint Session of the Legislative Congress of Polaris, highlighting areas of common interest and cooperation between Polaris and the United Provinces, including trade and defense.
 * 5:25 PM: President McClark and President Howebrucke hold a joint press conference at the Mercantile Manor, discussing a broad range of international and domestic issues.
 * 7:15 PM: President Howebrucke hosts President McClark and other dignitaries at the East Ballroom of Federation House for a formal state dinner.

January 12

 * 10:00 AM: President McClark departs Polaris City International Airport for Georgio Benito Alvarez International Airport in Puerto Elanor, PE.
 * 12:10 PM: President McClark arrives for a luncheon at Salle de Gobernador in downtown Puerto Elanor, greeted by Governor Alejandro Del Reyes and First Lady Rita Maro.

Press Conference Transcript
TBA

Patrick Smith's Flag
Controversy erupted as the day of the press conference Patrick Smith, the Conservative Foreign Minister who was sitting in the front of the audience of the press conference, wore the instead of the blue-white-orange vertical flag of the state, the United Provinces. Other conservatives and nationalists who were there to accompany Simon McClark also did the same. This caused fury among non-Conservative UP politicians who attended the press conference.

Patrick Smith also held a press conference with the Foreign Minister of Polaris - behind them were not the two official state flags but three flags (UP, Snowiny and Polaris) on Smith's incentive. Polarian Secretary of State Daniel Eldon joked: "I hope we've got the right flag for you, buddy!", to which Patrick Smith and the reporters responded with laughter.

Language
Simon McClark used mostly English during the press conference with exceptions to answering questions asked by UP reporters in the Serbian language, but Patrick Smith, on the other hand, constantly switched back and forth between English and Serbian both during his press conference and outside his press conference. He also denied questions asked by UP reporters if they were not in Serbian.