COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EUR DAS MATT BRYZA AND

UNCLAS PARIS 006047 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (REMOVED CAPTION SENSITIVE) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA FR KGIC SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EUR DAS MATT BRYZA AND ELIZABETH ROOD TO PARIS REF: STATE 147965 TREAT AS SENSITIVE ¶1. Embassy Paris warmly welcomes and provides country clearance for EUR DAS Matt Bryza, and EUR/CARC Director Elizabeth Rood to travel to Paris, France from September 11-13, 2006, to attend OSCE Minsk Group meetings. Post is aware that the exact dates and overnight stays are still to be confirmed. ¶2. Control Officer for the visit is Political Officer John Espinoza, who can be reached by e-mail at espinozajl@state.gov, by phone at (33-1) 43 12 25 75, via cell phone at (33-6) 20 43 86 88, or by FAX at (33-1) 43 12 26 63. He can also be reached at home via the Embassy switchboard at (33-1) 43 12 22 22. Note: If dialing from outside France, the country and area codes are 33-1 for fixed phones in the Paris region and 33-6 for cell phones nationwide. If dialing from inside France, the respective numbers are 01 and 06. ¶3. One single room for Ms. Rood has been reserved for the night of September 11, 2006 at the Hotel Regina, located at 2, Place des Pyramides, 75001, Paris, tel: (33-1) 42 60 31 10, fax: (33-1) 40 15 95 16. The room rate is within lodging per diem, at 206 Euros per night, taxes included (breakfast is included). Should you have any questions, please contact Emmanuel Dumont at the American Embassy Travel Unit in Paris (33-1) 43 12 20 53 or (33-1) 43 12 20 40. We would like to point out that a 48 hour notice is due in case of cancellation or modification in travel plans in order to avoid no-show charges. Please be aware that check-in time for hotels in France is officially 3:00 p.m. If you require a room to be ready earlier you will have to pay lodging for the night before arrival and your travel orders should reflect this requirement. Concerning luggage, as a convenience, hotels may allow travelers to leave their personal luggage at their hotel prior to 3:00 p.m. on the day of check-in. If travelers cannot pay an additional day for an early check-in, it is up to the traveler to negotiate with the hotel to leave baggage prior to check-in. ¶4. In the event of a crisis or serious international incident involving the United States, you must immediately contact your control officer. ¶5. Embassy media policy stipulates that any contact with visitors with the media be coordinated through the Embassy press office at (33-1) 43 12 28 33. ¶6. Embassy wishes to remind visitors that visas are required for holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports on official business in France. ¶7. Action request: Each visitor must bring a copy of his/her travel orders (or forward fiscal data) to cover costs of visit. Each agency, organization, or visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to their visit. These costs include, but are not limited to, American and LES overtime, field travel by Embassy employees, vehicle rentals, long distance telephone calls, equipment rentals, representational events and all other costs that are directly attributable to the visits. Airport pickup is provided only for employees at the rank of Assistant Secretary or above. Other visitors should take a taxi or Air France bus. ¶8. Following is current security information for France: (A) Terrorism: The current terrorism threat in France mirrors the general worldwide threat. Trans-national terror groups such as al-Qaida likely have a presence in France and do present a general threat. French law enforcement and intelligence services are effective in responding to this threat and remain in a heightened state of alert, but cannot completely negate it. For this reason American citizens should practice good personal security when visiting France. Remaining unpredictable is perhaps the simplest but most effective way of ensuring personal safety. This is particularly true when departing or arriving at your place of residence. Being aware of your surroundings and suspicious persons or activities is also critically important. Do not accept packages, do not open hotel doors to strangers and immediately report any suspicious activities to the police (telephone 17) and Regional Security Office telephone (33-1) 43 12 27 96. (B) Crime: Street crime in French cities is similar to that in most large metropolitan areas. The two most frequent crimes are pick pocketing and snatch/run theft. These criminals most often ply their trade on public transportation routes used by tourists and at tourist sites. In Paris, visitors should be particularly alert when using Metro lines numbers one and two, in addition to the RER trains serving the airports. Tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the major museums and the Avenue des Champs Elysees are all areas of heavy activity. Visitor should use hotel safes whenever possible to store valuables and excess cash. Awareness should go up when conditions are crowded. Maintain control of cameras and bags, do not carry these items behind you. Criminals on metros often push into you for distraction and pickpocket while doing so. Another technique is to grab valuables and escape just as the metro doors are closing. If credit cards are stolen, proceed to the nearest telephone and immediately notify the card issuer. Stolen credit cards are used immediately. Whenever possible, take a seat or keep your back to a wall when on the metro system. It is also recommended that a photocopy of your passport identification page be carried in lieu of the passport itself. Report any incidents to the Regional Security Office as soon as possible. (C) Electronic devices: Privately-owned laptops and personal computers are prohibited in controlled access areas (CAAs) of the Mission and consulates. Travelers with USG unclassified and classified laptop or notebook computers should review '95 State 244394 (classified machines) and '95 State 243825 (unclassified machines) and notify the Information Management Office (IMO) before bringing these machines into CAA. Cellular telephones are also prohibited in the CAA and must be left outside this area. Questions concerning other types of electronic devices may be directed to the Information Management Office or Regional Security Office. (D) For additional threat assessment information regarding France and/or Europe, you may contact DS/ITA in the State Department at (202) 663-0787. ¶9. Health Concerns: For up-to-date information on health precautions for France, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website contains a detailed analysis of risks involved at: http:cdc.gov/travel/disease.htm. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON