KAZAKHSTAN BUILDS CASPIAN FLOTILLA.

The nascent flotilla of Kazakhstan has just taken delivery of the third Kazakh-made combat cutter, built (as were the first two) at the Zenith shipyard in Uralsk, a city in western Kazakhstan. Two similar vessels are currently under construction there. The country had inherited from the former USSR only two decrepit cutters. However, Kazakhstan has since 1997 received ten ships from the USA and Germany. The Kazakh flotilla is destined to perform coastal guard missions only. Aktau is its main base, and Captain First Class Ratmil Komratov its commander (Itar-Tass, July 15, Voin Kazakhstana, September 5, 1997)–VS

KAZAKH AND KYRGYZ PRESIDENTIAL OFFSPRING TO MARRY.