COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO EXBS ASSESSMENT TEAM, SEPT

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000778 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL ETT YI MIK SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO EXBS ASSESSMENT TEAM, SEPT 18-22, 2006 REF: SECSTATE 151867 ¶1. US Office Pristina welcomes and grants country clearance to EXBS Assessment Team, Paul Van Son, Jason McClellen and Jim Kelly to visit Pristina September 18 - September 22, 2006. The purpose of the visit is to discuss possible areas of cooperation with the USOP and key UNMIK ministries. Point of contact will be Political Officer, Tracey Thornton, who can be reached at: office 381-38-549-516 ext. 3110; GSM 377-44-502-107; fax 381-38-549-890. ¶2. Post will coordinate arrangements for airport pick up. Post will also make arrangements for transportation for official meetings during the visit. Accommodations have been confirmed at Hotel Victory, Tel# 038/543-277. www.hotel-victory.com. The Hotel Victory accepts cash only. The room rate is Euro 73.90 a night, including breakfast. ¶3. Kosovo is a cash (Euro) economy. There are a few operating ATMs. A few large stores and some hotels take credit cards. Not all ATMS are reliable and personnel should use normal ATM safety precautions. TDY personnel should bring sufficient cash or travelers' checks to cover all hotel and other incidental expenses and may exchange dollars for Euros from 9:00am-11:30am and 1:00pm-3:30pm each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 9:00am-11:30am each Thursday at the U.S. Office cashier. Only USOP accepts travelers' checks. Reverse accommodation is available at the end of the visit. ¶4. Security issues: The security situation in Kosovo is fluid and there is still risk from occasional episodes of violence; incidents of ethnic violence continue to occur. Land mines remain in some outlying areas. Civil society institutions generally do not yet meet Western standards. There is criminal activity against internationals, including purse snatching and residential break-ins and general precautions are recommended. KFOR is deployed throughout Kosovo. Electronic devices such as laptops (personal or official),PDA cell phones with cameras, and the like must be approved for use in USOP facilities by an ISSO in consultation with the RSO. ¶5. Travel to certain areas within Kosovo province requires fully armored vehicles and advance RSO approval. To facilitate planning, please provide travel itinerary to USOP in advance of arrival, as same-day travel can be difficult to arrange. To provide appropriate access to USOP facilities, visitors must ensure all necessary security clearances are included with travel messages. ¶6. Please ensure ASEC tags are included to ensure proper distribution. Specific questions regarding security may be addressed to USOP's RSO or your control officer. KAIDANOW