EXBS: SLOVAKIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 001099 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NP/ECC - PVANSON, ACHURCH, JOHN COFFEY DEPT FOR EUR/ACE - DMARTIN CBP/INA FOR PWARKER, BPICKETT USDOE/NNSA FOR TPERRY DOC FOR PETERSEN-BEARD PRAGUE FOR MARK CANNING VIENNA FOR KENNY MACDONALD BUDAPEST FOR JEFFREY IZZO WARSAW FOR THOMAS YEAGER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP ETTC PREL LO SUBJECT: EXBS: SLOVAKIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - NOVEMBER 2004 ¶1. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS. None ¶2. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD. ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD. 1) November 4, 2004 - EXBS Advisor met with Director Frantisek Babuska and Senior Officer Mrs. Jana Dlhopolcekova from Slovakia's Ministry of Economy, Department of Sensitive Goods and Trading Management. Subject of discussion was their participation in the up- coming 6th International Export Control Conference to be held in London, England, November 8-10, 2004. EXBS Advisor provided them with their airlines tickets and some information on the conference agenda and the hotel where they will be staying in London. 2) November 14-18, 2004 - EXBS Advisor and Program Coordinator traveled to Warsaw, Poland for meetings with U.S. Embassy staff and officials from the Polish Customs Service and the Polish Border Guard. Effective November 1, 2004, EXBS responsibilities for Poland were transferred to the EXBS Advisor in Slovakia. 3) November 14, 2004 - EXBS Advisor and EXBS Program Coordinators Katarzyna Dragan (Poland) and Dusana Bartkova (Slovakia) met with DITRA Policy Analyst Ruth Keipp and her training team of John Carmody, Charles Dodge, Tim Kelly, and Mort Moriarty at the Sofitel Hotel in Warsaw, Poland. EXBS Advisor gave the opening speech for a five day, forty hour, training session on "Counterproliferation Awareness" that was attended by 50 Polish government officials representing the Border Guard, Customs, Police Presidium and the General Prosecutor's office. 4) November 14, 2004 - EXBS Advisor met with U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Cameron Munter at the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Discussion included the status of the EXBS Program in Poland and plans for the continued employment and use of the EXBS Program Coordinator in Warsaw, Mrs. Katarzyna Dragan. Mrs. Dragan has worked as the EXBS Program Coordinator in Warsaw for the past three years. Mrs. Dragan's contract with EXBS runs through the end of September ¶2005. With the closure of the EXBS Office in Warsaw, Mrs. Dragan will work with the embassy's Political Section until the end of her contract. EXBS Advisor also met with the embassy's Political Counselor, Mrs. Mary Curtin and Political Analyst Thomas Yeager. We discussed the political sections' use of Mrs. Dragan and how she could assist their staff over the next several months. Everyone at the embassy speaks very highly of Mrs. Dragan and they are very appreciative that EXBS has allowed her to join their section after the phase out of the EXBS Program in Poland. 5) November 15, 2004 - EXBS Advisor met with representatives from the Polish Customs Service in Warsaw, Poland. Those present at the meeting were Mrs. Krystyna Drezinska, Head of the Office for Professional Development; Mr. Waclaw Gasiorowski, Chief Specialist of the Customs Control Department; and Mr. Piotr Wilczek, Chief Specialist of the Training Department. The meeting took place at their Customs headquarters, which is located in the Ministry of Finance Building. Discussions included a briefing on the status of the EXBS Program in Poland and briefings on the current status of Polish Customs activities. 6) November 16, 2004 - EXBS Advisor met with members of the Polish Border Guard at their headquarters building in Warsaw. Those present at the meeting were Col. Bogdan Pawlowski, Deputy Director of the Border Control Department; Lt. Col. Tadeusz Hadys, Chief Specialist, Border Control Department; and Lt. Marta Krukowska, Head of the Section in the Office of Personnel and Training. Discussions included a briefing on the status of the EXBS Program in Poland and briefings on the current border security efforts in Poland. 7) November 22, 2004 - EXBS Advisor attended a news conference with U.S. Ambassador Ronald Weiser in Bratislava, Slovakia. The purpose of the news conference was to cover the donation of two motor vehicles from the EXBS Program to the Border and Alien Police of the Slovak Republic. Ambassador Weiser gave a speech in which he thanked the Slovak government for the cooperation they have given the United States and commending their efforts to strengthen their export controls and enhance their border security. He then presented the keys to the vehicles to Slovakia's Interior Minister Vladimir Palko. Minister Palko then turned the vehicles over to Mr. Michal Borgula, Head of the Border and Alien Police. The event received widespread media coverage from local Television stations, radio stations and newspapers. 8) November 24-26, 2004 - EXBS Advisor traveled to Prague, Czech Republic where he conducted a site assessment of Prague International Airport. A full report of the site assessment will follow in a separate cable. 9) November 26, 2004 - EXBS Advisor attended a news conference with U.S. Ambassador William Cabaniss in Prague, Czech Republic. The purpose of the news conference was to cover the donation of a new Mercedes- Benz X-Ray Autovan, from the EXBS Program to the Czech General Directorate of Customs. Ambassador Cabaniss thanked the government of the Czech Republic for the cooperation they have given the United States and congratulated Czech Customs for their efforts to secure their country's borders. He then presented the key to the vehicle to Czech Customs General Director Zdenek Richtr. The event received excellent media coverage from local Television stations, radio stations and newspapers. ¶B. TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. None ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING 1) November 23, 2004 - Two motor vehicles (Skoda Fabias) were donated to the Border and Alien Police of the Slovak Republic. Total value of the two vehicles was $26,992. 2) November 26, 2004 - One Mercedes-Benz X-Ray van was ceremonially handed over to the Czech Republic's General Directorate of Customs. The van was actually donated to Czech Customs on July 5, 2004. Value of the Mobile X-Ray van is $183,275. ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE. None ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY. None. ¶3. RED FLAG ISSUES. None. Questions regarding this report can be directed to Larry Adkins, EXBS Senior Advisor, at AmEmbassy Bratislava at telephone no.: 421-2-5922-3375, fax: 421- 2-5922-3497 or through email at adkinslh@state.gov. WEISER NNNN