I really don't want to have the game pause every 2 seconds so the other empires could nag at me with the same requests over and over...
also, a general idea of what the trade is for would be good, so I can ignore all requests to remove my troops from their system and requests to trade galaxy maps, but look into other offers, such as trades. also, have my "ministers" "auto-accept" gifts from other empires graciously, notifying me via standard interface without pausing the game for a popup.
EDIT:
Ideally, I would like to see a "ticker" on the left of the screen which shows the last 4 offers made to you, which you can then click to bring them up... you know what, I will go make a mockup.
EDIT2:
here is a mockup... its not the most polished and there is certainly better placements / color choices / etc. just to give a general idea of what I mean:

EDIT3: note that there is still the normal ticker at the top and mini popups on the right, I do not suggest modifying those as they work well. but rather, add a new spot for contact from other empires (it is important enough to warrant its own interface spot... but not import enough to pause the game with a full popup)