Pope John Paul arrived in Kazakhstan today, his visit overshadowed by concerns over international security after the September 11th hijacked airliner attacks in the United States.
As the Pontiff's plane touched down at the airport in the capital Astana, he was due to be met by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, given honours by the elite presidential guards and welcomed by youths clad in national Kazakh costumes and the local Catholic clergy.
A huge country stretching across Central Asia, Kazakhstan neighbours some of the countries that may be caught up in events if Washington launches military strikes in Afghanistan in retaliation for the attacks in New York and Washington.