Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: Royal Family Winters at Playa de Paz
National Government reviews Overseas Spending; Gaduri Procurement on Pace
Playa de Paz, Athosia, Baltusia
February 4, 5737


Princess Consort shows of the Royal Home at Playa de Paz, Baltusia

Royal Family Winters at Playa de Paz
The Royal Family is in residence at Playa de Paz, Athosia in Baltusia. The family was delayed by a few weeks as the Emperor was in Gaduridos negotiating the end to the Schismatic Crisis. But they reopened the Winter House on January 10th, and departed Kaliburg two days later. "We have only spent a few weeks at Playa de Paz over the last few years," said Her Highness, the Princess Consort Casey Leigh-Campbell. "But this is the first time we are able to take our youngest to winter in Athosia, and we are just glad to be here. It really feels like coming home whenever we come down."

It is believed that House Ananto spends millions annually on upkeep of the house. "We know this helps the local economy," says the Princess Consort. "Whether it is our immediate family, or Princesses Jennifer and Victoria who come down here, we require staff to attend to the needs of our growing family. The Staff is more than 100 who we keep employed year round and pay Kalistani, not lower Baltusian wages, whether we are in residence or not." In addition to acting as a jobs program for the locals in the region, the Princess Consort also talked about other things to keep the house and property maintained. "Food, utilities, like upkeep and repair, taxes it adds up pretty quickly into a lot of money annually."

But the ability to have such a beautiful home in Athosia is absolutely worth it, says the Princess Consort. "Yes, it is a luxury, and it might seem a bit different if people in Kalistan were hungry or there was a homelessness crisis or lack of public medicine in the country side. But Kalistan doesn't face a lot of the same social problems some of the poorer nations of the world face. Even the rest of Baltusia: The amount of money we put into Athosia just ourselves is a stark contrast with the rest of the nation. But maintaining this home when we only really use it for about three months a year is totally worth it. We have it if we need it at other times during the year, and really, who doesn't want a palace like this in such a beautiful place like Athosia? It's definitely worth it." The Royal Family will be in residence until early April this year, when they will return to Kaliburg. Her Highness says the Royal Family are expecting a visit from Her Highness Princess of the Empire Carolina Ananto-Connor later this month.

National Government reviews Overseas Spending
His Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister Dr. Roger Berry gave a report on overseas spending for humanitarian and other aid last week to the National Assembly. "As expected, most of our aid and trade goes to those nations around us," says Minister Berry. "The Government, following His Imperial Majesty's direction, has ensured that much of our spending overseas stays where it will do most good. This includes money going to Seleya and north central Dovani, where we are actively promoting environmental programs. Almost none of it goes to the antipodes, places like Vascania or Majatra."

Berry said that Kalistan doesn't maintain economic or diplomatic relationships with most Majatran nations. "Nations like Solentia or Jakania, it wouldn't make a bit of difference if we sent them aid, it honestly wouldn't change the lives of any of the people there, and we have no relationship with them anyway, so we would be left with the overarching question of who do we even send it to." He listed money and support going to Majatra, of all places as "zero. Not a single cent goes to Majatra. It would be a waste to send it."

Dr. Berry responded to Speaker of the Institutional Democrats, Dr. Kristen Brandt, who said it might be incumbent upon our nation to do things to help perpetual basketcases like Solentia. "Neglect of them could in theory breed contempt in them. If we were to try and help them overcome their backwardness and dark attitudes about the world, we would do wonders at promoting the advancement of human kind to the poor benighted souls who are forced to live in that country, and others like it because they have no choice. We want to help them. We should want to be seen as a benevolent defender of the people, of the downtrodden, of the helpless, but here we just turn a cold shoulder to a whole continent."

Berry's response was telling of the difference between the more internationalist perspect of the Democrats and the Orthodox members of the Assembly. "Kalistan has zero, strike that, less than zero interests in a place like Solentia. If we weren't so well educated in this nation, I doubt anyone here would be able to point the nation out on a map. We are staying within our overall principles of funding national interests first, before we worry about starving Dudmanis."

Gaduri Procurement on Pace
His Imperial Majesty's Minister of Infrastructure has reported that Gaduri procurement is on pace. "We have sent naval engineers to Ciudad de Gadur to begin work on the Gaduri National Fleet," said Minister Joseph Montgomery. "The first step is to make sure the dry docks in CdG still function in their purpose. They were built more than 160 years ago and have rarely, if ever been used since then. So we needed to make sure they are still structurally functional. After a bit of clean up, we discovered the locks still work, the pumps, some of which had to be replaced, were all ultimately functional, and the facilities were found to be in pretty good shape, all things considered."

Reopening the Dry Dock facilities at Puerto Gaduri was a major first step. "We have therefore dispatched our naval engineers to begin their liaison with their Gaduri Counterparts, to begin transmitting naval blueprints. Our goal is to produce ships both here and in Gaduridos, so that a fleet can be stood up in preparation for our transfer of Sovereignty at Bentasur." Minister Montgomery said that the recent crisis taught Kalistan how important it will be to have Gaduridos jointly patrolling the Schismatic Sea and the Central Anantonese Ocean. "As our Mission in Bentasur evolves, getting Gaduri ships of the line out to sea becomes very important."

The procurement effort is a major multi-year program by which Kalistan will be supplying ships at cost to Gaduridos to help them stand up a serious defensive navy in the region, while Gaduridos offsets the cost by supply many of the building materials, both to the docks at CdG and to Kalistan. "We look forward to Gaduri partnership, but we still have a long road ahead of us. Completion of this first step therefore is a fantastic milestone, which puts us on the path toward return of sovereignty in Bentasur." The Minister said the agreement around Bentasur relies on Gaduridos' time table, so we will now wait until Gadudidos is ready." Meanwhile, the first steps toward building a manpower base for the navy through recruitment should begin sometimes soon, after which time, Gaduri sailors and officers will be posted on Kalistani ships at Bentasur. "The Crisis delayed progress, but hopefully now, we are back on track."

@TheRepublic