SHIPOWNERS RAISE CSI AT AMVER AWARDS CEREMONY

UNCLAS ROME 004727 SIPDIS TRANSPORTATION FOR TSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EWWT IT MARITIME SUBJECT: SHIPOWNERS RAISE CSI AT AMVER AWARDS CEREMONY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 04727 300802Z REF: A. ROME 676 ¶B. SECSTATE 018930 ¶C. 01 ROME 5125 ¶1. SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR SEMBLER RECOGNIZED THE INTERDICTION AND SAFETY EFFORTS OF ITALIAN SHIPPERS AT THE ANNUAL AMVER AWARDS CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 19. THE EVENT WAS WELL-COVERED IN THE ITALIAN PRESS. SOME PARTICIPANTS TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING THE CONTAINER SECURITY INITIATIVE. POST IS LOOKING INTO COORDINATING A COMBINED CEREMONY IN 2003 WITH THE ITALIAN EQUIVALENT OF AMVER. END SUMMARY. ¶2. THE AMBASSADOR HOSTED AN AMVER (AUTOMATED MUTUAL ASSISTANCE VESSEL EMERGENCY RESPONSE) AWARDS CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 19, ATTENDED BY LEADING ITALIAN MARITIME INDUSTRY, UNION AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS, INCLUDING SEVEN OF THE TWELVE AWARD RECIPIENTS FROM ROME, NAPLES, GENOA AND SICILY. ¶3. DR. LUIGI PERISSICH, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE ITALIAN SHIPOWNERS ASSOCIATION, TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OCCASION TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE SIGNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CONTAINER SECURITY INITIATIVES (CSI) AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ITALY. DR. PERISSICH ALSO VOICED AN INTEREST IN A FOLLOW ON MEETING WITH THE EMBASSY TO DISCUSS SHIPOWNERS QUESTIONS ON CSI. (CUSTOMS AND STATE OFFICIALS WILL HOST SUCH A MEETING ON OCTOBER 1.) ¶4. ADMIRAL SERGIO DE STEFANO, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE ITALIAN COAST GUARD, TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE ITALIAN COAST GUARD UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 04727 300802Z HAS A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO AMVER CALLED ARES AND SUGGESTED A COMBINED AWARDS CEREMONY IN 2003. THE AMBASSADOR AGREED TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCH A JOINT CEREMONY. ¶5. THE ITALIAN PRESS WAS WELL REPRESENTED AT THE AMVER AWARDS CEREMONY; ARTICLES EXPLAINING AMVER AND HIGHLIGHTING THE EVENT APPEARED IN THE TOP THREE ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME04727 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED