Kalistan

[Doc]

Kalistani News in Brief: Chancellor hints at Development of new Fleet
FM visits Gao-Soto to open Relations; New investments in Health Care and Education announced
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 3, 5638


Chancellor Koenig discusses "spending Peace Dividend" at National Assembly

Chancellor hints at Development of New Fleet
Chancellor of the Empire Sir Michael Koenig, speaking with reporters after a closed door session with the Government, said that Her Imperial Majesty has expressed a desire to begin building a new fleet. "Our participation in the Kundrati War having come to a conclusion, it is now time for us to refocus our attention closer to home, at long last," said the Chancellor. "Over the next ten or so years, Kalistan will realize a peace dividend, both from the end of our involvement in Kundrati, and from the recovery of Kalistani markets and trade within the Empire. It's time, I think to begin spending this peace dividend to shore up some of the gaps in our own national defense."

The Premier outlined a plan by Her Imperial Majesty's Ministry of Defense to build a northern rapid response fleet which focuses on mobility and intelligence. "The idea is: Kalistan has three approaches. We have double coverage on two of those three, but we have always assumed that the third one, through the northern approaches of the Ananto Ocean along western Dovani was secure, so that one has always been left relatively open. A Fifth Fleet, stationed in the approach between Dovani and Keris, would help us close that last door and force an invasion into the Anantonese from each direction to have to go through two regular fleets before arriving in Kalistan. It's a position whose time has been long in the coming, but now that we can focus on ship building in Kaliburg and Gaduridos once again, we should get started before any more fascists decide to begin making trouble for the world."

The Chancellor said that the plans for the new Fleet were being finalized, including any necessary procurement from external sources, and the first skeletons would be laid in by 5642. He also inexplicably added "I am also a complete fool, and love the Lady Baronette Helen Maldonado from Lolla very much. It was my decision alone to tell you all that." When asked about the seeming nonsequitor, the Chancellor answered "No Comment."

FM Visits Gao-Soto to open Relations
Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lady Anya Waltrip travelled to Gao-Soto this week to meet with the new Chancellor Anna Yumeji Tone, and express Her Imperial Majesty's desire for closer relations with the northern Dovani nation. "Kalistan frequently gets itself into hot water when discussing other nations," said Lady Waltrip in a press conference following the meeting. "So I simply offered Her Imperial Majesty Empress Mary I Ananto's congratulations on Chancellor Tone's election, and expressed the Empress' optimism that our two nations can work together on a wide spectrum of issues. I was greeted warmly by the Government here, I felt that they listened, and I think the ground work is laid for cordial and regular relations going forward."

The first step, said Lady Anya, was to establish an embassy and exchange Ambassadors. "As in most places, Kalistan retains a full time consulate here in Gao-Soto. It allows the Government in this nation to contact our Government directly at need, but primarily serves those from Gao-Soto who would like to travel or do business in the Empire." The Foreign Minister discussed Kalistan's historical issues around the ethno-federalist strife in the country but said that it appeared that the country is making strides to resolve those conflicts internally. "We would like to let Gao-Soto know that we are open to cooperation and maintaining friendly relations with Gao-Soto." The Foreign Minister said she also invited her counterpart to Kalistan for a visit.

New Investments in Health Care and Education announced
Her Imperial Majesty's Minister for Health and Social Services, Dr. Kylie Montero, announced a significant new investment in health and education in Kaliburg today. "Her Imperial Majesty has authorized a ₭600 Million investment in health and education over the next ten years. The money will be used to bring rural health clinics online that will serve large areas of mostly rural and remote populations in Odufaray and Nevaras, and to provide early childhood education to about 8 million school children, so they can get an early start with fundamental concepts like literacy, mathematics and science."

The money will also target aging facilities which have been in need of updating. "Some of our rural health clinics just need to be remodeled," said Minister Montero, "but we've also identified about twenty clinics in Nevaras and Vrassa which need to be just rebuilt. The buildings they were operating in just couldn't support a lot of basic procedures, like outpatient surgery, abortion provision, or serious emergencies, and the result was that people were having to travel sometimes as much as 100 miles to get into a facility that could accommodate them. In this day and age, that is not acceptable, and the problem hits hardest in rural areas, so this is an area of real inequity that we will address."

The Education funding will go to provide early Childhood education in rural areas. "We are seeing a large gap in education attainment between the cities and the countryside," said the Minister. "This problem is long standing, and though most of Kalistan's children live in our cities, the Government has long attempted to encourage de-urbanization and settlement of rural communities. But if there aren't services there for families, there is no incentive to leave the cities. Who would have guessed it. This money for education seeks to begin addressing this by expanding school options for younger children in rural areas, to help give them the benefits that their city cousins take for granted."

The Ministry is already beginning several projects on the Mainland.

@TheRepublic