COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR S/WCI AMBASSADOR

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001158 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SWCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA SR SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR S/WCI AMBASSADOR CLINT WILLIAMSON AND LOUIS-ALEXANDRE BERG REF: STATE 117743 ¶1. Embassy Belgrade grants country clearance and warmly welcomes the visit of Ambassador Clint Williamson and staff assistant Louis-Alexandre Berg to Belgrade July 25-28, 2006, to meet on war crimes issues. Transportation is arranged, including onward transportation to Banja Luka on July 28, and two single rooms have been reserved at the Hyatt Hotel as requested reftel. Control officer is Ian Campbell, Deputy Political Chief, mobile telephone number (+381) 63/325-356. ¶2. DCM Moore, who will be Charge during the visit, extends his apologies to Ambassador Williamson that he will be unable to greet him upon arrival, due to a scheduling conflict with another delegation. Mr. Moore looks forward to joining Ambassador Williamson for an in-brief on 6/25 and for the Ambassador's meetings on 6/26 and 6/27. ¶3. The Embassy's offices are located at Kneza Milosa 50, Belgrade. The Embassy's switchboard telephone number is 381-11-361-9344; the fax number is 381-11- 361-8230. Normal Embassy working hours are Monday- Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The after hours (Post 1) telephone number is 381-11-306-4679. ¶4. Credit cards are accepted at hotels, some restaurants and major supermarkets in Belgrade; however, for travel within Serbia outside Belgrade travelers should bring enough cash for expenses. Accommodation exchange is available through the Embassy cashier with a copy of your travel orders. There is a $1,000.00 per week limit. Personal and travelers' checks are acceptable at the Embassy. The Raiffeisen Bank ATM is available at the Embassy's Post One lobby. However, this machine does not accept Mastercard, American Express nor Diners Club cards. ¶5. American citizens do not need visas to enter Serbia for a stay up to 90 days. Upon arrival in Belgrade, the Embassy will meet and assist you on arrival at the airport. On departure, you should be aware that some US carrier connections via major hubs around Europe require an overnight in transit. Personnel not staying in a hotel are required to register with local police within 24 hours of arrival. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES -------------- ¶6. Travelers entering Serbia with more than 2000 Euros in cash are required to declare all currency upon entry and obtain from customs officials a declaration form that must be presented at departure. Failure to comply may result in the confiscation of all funds. The U.S. Embassy has been contacted by many American citizens who have failed to comply with this requirement and consequently had thousands of dollars seized by the Government of Serbia. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of Serbia in Washington for specific information regarding customs requirements. SECURITY -------------- ¶7. Official U.S. presence has been continuous in Belgrade since October 2000 and personnel have experienced few untoward incidents. The impression given by the general public is that there is support for the return of USG personnel. However, visitors should not take photos of buildings damaged or destroyed in the NATO bombing campaign. Random street crimes, such as pick pocketing and car vandalism, are the most commonly reported incidents. There are very serious information security concerns and strict security procedures are to be maintained regarding computer processing and sensitive discussions. POLT