COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR YOULIANA IVANOVA

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000042 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA AMGT ASEC SR YI SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR YOULIANA IVANOVA REF: SECSTATE 649 ¶1. Embassy Belgrade grants country clearance to Ms. Youliana Ivanova, Serbia Desk Officer, from January 17 to February 2, 2007, for the purpose of participation in the OSCE election observation team, and to conduct an embassy orientation tour. Control Officer for this visit will be Demian Smith, Political Officer, Tel: (381-11) 306-4686 (office),(381-63) 654-940 (mobile). ¶2. All official visitors who expect to stay more than five business days are required to attend a RSO security briefing held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00am at the Embassy. Official visitors who expect to stay more than five business days are also required to conduct a security out-brief with the RSO. Visitors staying less than five days should review the TDY Briefing document available on the Embassy Intranet site. ¶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. As requested, one single room has been reserved at the Moskva Hotel, telephone (381-11) 268-6255, fax (381-11) 268- 8389, for the nights of January 23-26, 2007 and February 1, 2007. The Embassy room rate is Euro 119. Travelers are responsible for payment of all charges made at the hotel. Please note that telephone calls made from the Moskva hotel are expensive and international calling cards do not work in Serbia. In addition to cash, the Moskva Hotel accepts American Express, Visa, Master, and Diners Club cards, or travelers' checks for payment of room charges. ¶4. Travelers on official travel to Belgrade are exempt from Value-Added Tax (VAT) on hotel bills. ¶5. Credit cards are accepted at hotels, 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. ¶6. 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 ¶7. 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 ¶8. 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 pickpocketing 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. MOORE