EXBS: SLOVAKIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000749 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 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP ETTC PREL LO SUBJECT: EXBS: SLOVAKIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - JULY 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. None. ¶B. TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. ¶I. EXBS Advisor and a group of sixteen Customs employees from the Customs Directorate of the Slovak Republic attended the International Border Inspection Training (IBIT) course in Hidalgo, Texas, from July 16- 23, 2004. The course provided officers with advanced training in Behavioral Analysis, Vehicle Compartments, Smuggling Trends and the use of enforcement detection equipment. Practical exercises were then conducted on vehicles entering the United States from Mexico, giving the attendees a chance to put into practice what they had just learned. The course was very relevant and very well delivered. II. EXBS Advisor and a group consisting of sixteen Customs employees, five Police officers, one Ministry of Economy, Export Licensing Department and one employee from the Slovak Republic General Prosecutor's Office attended Weapons of Mass Destruction Training at the Interdict/Radiation Academy Training Facility at Richland, Washington from July 26-30, 2004. This course provided the attendees with hands-on training in the identification and detection of WMD (nuclear, chemical and biological) and their dispersal/delivery systems. It also provided advanced hands-on training in the use of sophisticated WMD detection instruments that are currently available and in use in Slovakia. I found this training to be extremely informative and I highly recommend it for other countries. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING ¶I. On July 5, 2004, a Mercedes Benz Sprinter X-Ray Autovan was delivered to the General Directorate of Customs in Prague, Czech Republic. II. On July 19, 2004, a Mercedes Benz Sprinter X-Ray Autovan was delivered to the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard in Budapest, Hungary. ¶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- 2-5922-3044 or through email at adkinslh@state.gov. THAYER NNNN