Nursultan Nazarbaev on 16 April participated in the concluding phase of the Batys-2003 military exercises that have been under way in western Kazakhstan since mid-March. The exercises were not only the first to be conducted in the western part of the country, but also the largest ever in Kazakhstan. During his stay in the port town of Aqtau, Nazarbaev approved a project to build a military settlement nearby. A motorized infantry brigade and air-defense units are to be stationed there, and construction is to begin in May. Defense Minister Colonel General Mukhtar Altynbaev was quoted as telling Interfax on 15 April that reviews of the experience gained during the U.S.-led military operation in Iraq are being included in the Kazakh exercises. He added that Batys-2003 provided the first opportunity for the Kazakh military to conduct full-scale command-post exercises. Previous exercises were limited to the battalion and platoon levels for financial reasons, he was quoted as saying. But now the country\'s defense budget -- which was increased to 1 percent of gross domestic product last year -- can cover exercises at the strategic level. (Interfax-Kazakhstan)