PORTUGAL GRANTS COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EPA WATKINS

UNCLAS LISBON 002258 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO EPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PO KSCA SENV OTRA TPHY SUBJECT: PORTUGAL GRANTS COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EPA WATKINS PLUS 2 REF: SECSTATE 122907 ¶1. Embassy Lisbon welcomes and grants country clearance for EPA Officials Tim Watkins, Deputy Director, Rachelle Duvall, Physical Scientist, and Deborah Luecken, Research Physical Scientist, to travel to Lisbon, Portugal from September 21-31, 2007 (Watkins and Duvall) and Septmeber 22 - October 05, 2007 (Luecken) to attend the 29th NATO International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling. ¶2. Control Officer in Lisbon is Political/Economic Officer Tiffany McGriff. CONTACT INFO -------------- OFC : 351-21-770-2575 FAX : 351-21-726-6547 CELL: 351-91-959-4823 E-MAIL: McGriffTL@state.gov ¶3. No Embassy assistance is requested. ¶4. TRAVEL TIPS: Taxis are relatively inexpensive. Be sure to ask for a receipt (factura). A "taxi voucher" service is available at the airport to arriving passengers. The cost of the voucher depends on the distance of the trip and/or length of time, as well as the type of service required. Fare should not be more than 15.00 Euros from the airport to major hotels in the city. ¶5. It is possible to use most ATM cards in Multibanco teller machines located throughout Portugal. Although Multibanco does not assess a service charge for this transaction, normal service charges assessed by your own bank will apply. USD 1.00 equals approximately Euro 0.75. The ATM machine will automatically do the exchange. ¶6. THREAT ASSESSMENT: In light of the current worldwide security situation, all Americans are reminded that it is more important than ever to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Be sure to vary your times and routes and avoid patterns in your activities. There are no known specific and credible threats to include violent demonstrations, terrorist or criminal acts that would affect your visit. Personnel under the Chief of Mission's authority will be notified of any security advisories issued during the visit. While in Portugal, if you notice any suspicious activity or have any security concerns, the Embassy's Regional Security Officer (RSO) should be notified as soon as possible. ¶7. Portugal has a relatively low amount of street crime. Violent criminal confrontations and the use of weapons are rare. Burglars and pickpockets are active and visitors are encouraged to safeguard valuables and not carry large amounts of cash or unneeded credit cards. Visitors should also be very careful on crowded streets, in entertainment areas, department stores, restaurants or crowded public transportation. Car crime, such as auto thefts and thefts from vehicles is low. Travelers are warned not to leave valuables in hotel rooms. Eastern European organized crime groups are active in Portugal, but mainly target the immigrant populations. The police and other emergency services in Portugal are adequate. Threat information through the Consular Information Program is available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, U.S. travelers may hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, DC at (202) 647-5225 from their touchtone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing (202)647-3300 from their fax machine. Hoffman