ST.PETERSBURG, January 23 (AVN) - Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will arrive in St. Petersburg on Friday to see the Severnaya Verf shipyard lay the keel of the first Valdai-class bulk carrier, a spokesman for the city administration told the Military News Agency.
The bulk carrier is the first out of 10 universal river-sea class vessels that Severnaya Verf undertook to build for the North-Western sea steamship line, the spokesman said.
Kasyanov will be accompanied by Transport Minister Sergei Frank, St. Petersburg governor Vladimir Yakovlev, Navy Commander Vladimir Kuroyedov and director-general of the New Programmes and Concepts industrial holding company Boris Kuzyk. New Programmes and Concepts holds Severnaya Verf's controlling interest.
Also on Friday, Kasyanov is expected to attend anniversary celebrations at the St. Petersburg Naval Institute. This military education establishment is the oldest in Russia. Originally called the School of Mathematics and Navigation Studies, it was founded by Peter the Great in 1701.
The celebrations are slated for 16.00 Moscow time (1300 GMT). The prime minister is expected to hand over the banner of a new type to the institute's administration and read the government resolution that changes the institute's name to Naval Corps of Peter the Great - St. Petersburg Naval Institute.