COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EAP ADVISOR BALBINA HWANG AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 001209 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM OTRA ASEC RS SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EAP ADVISOR BALBINA HWANG AND PRM PROGRAM OFFICER MELISSA PIOTTI TRAVEL TO VLADIVOSTOK APRIL 6-9 REF: STATE 33981 STATE 31187 ¶1. Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance to EAP Senior Advisor Balbina Hwang and PRM/ANE Program Officer Melissa Pitotti to visit Vladivostok April 6 through April 9, 2007. The primary purpose of this trip is to further USG efforts to implement North Korean refugee-related aspects of the North Korean Human Rights Act of ¶2004. Airport meet and assist has been arranged. Lodging, within per diem, at the rate of $180 per evening and has arranged. The travel itinerary has been received: arriving Vladivostok Friday, April 6, via Korean Air Flight 981 at 3:50 pm, departing Vladivostok April 9, via Korean Air Flight 982 at 4:20 pm. Post requests updates to changes in traveler's itinerary if applicable. ¶2. Control officer is Daniel Kronenfeld; Work:7(4232)30-00-70 ext: 4601 Cell:7(4232)70-37-14 Email: KroenfeldDA1@state.gov. ¶3. Security clearance: Confirmation of TDYer's security clearance has been received. ¶4. Visa requirements: All visitors must have a valid entry/exit visa for Russia and may not enter Russia before (or depart Russia after) the dates shown in the visa. Please note that the dates on Russian visas are listed in day/month/year format. Please allow thirty (30) working days for Russian visa processing. Visa extensions and other amendments requested after arrival normally take ten (10) to fifteen (15) working days to process. To minimize the number of emergency requests for extensions and other amendments after your arrival, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests that initial visa applications include a five-day cushion on each side of your planned travel dates. For instance, if you plan to arrive June 5 and depart June 25, you should request a visa that is valid for the entire month of June. Please carefully check the dates of the visa before entering the country; travelers arriving before or after the validity dates on their visas will be detained at the airport and may be deported to their original embarkation points. ¶5. Passport/visa registration/migration cards: All visitors who remain in Russia for more than three business days must register their passports and visas with the Russian government. The registration authority is given to hotels. Visitors not staying at hotels should register their passports/visas through the Embassy Human Resources office; this process takes approximately two business days. ¶6. Migration Card for all travelers: Russian authorities have implemented a migration (entry/exit) card system at all border crossings. This is in addition to the visa regime. All visitors to Russia must complete a migration card, which is handed out upon arrival in Russia - either on airplanes or at border crossings. Upon receipt of visa from Russian Embassy, confirm that arrival date and departure date fit with itinerary. NO airport visas are issued at the port of entry. ¶7. TDY travelers must complete the migration card. There are five steps to this process - Obtain a migration card upon entry to Russia, complete the card, ensure the card is stamped by border officials upon entry, register the card at their hotel, and most importantly, keep the card with their passport. If TDY travelers are stopped by police or militia, they must produce a passport, valid visa and stamped migration card. Upon departure from Russia, TDY travelers will be asked to relinquish this migration card to border police. If the card is lost, travelers must arrange to replace the card, before departure, or risk being barred entry to Russia on future trips. ¶8. Customs: Russian customs procedures include entry and exit declaration forms. The new law on currency regulation and control allow foreigners to export up to USD 3,000 without providing a customs declaration or proof of how the money was obtained. However, foreigners may also export up to USD 10,000 by simply filling out a customs declaration upon exit. More than USD 10,000 can be exported upon proof that it was imported into Russia legally (a stamped customs declaration or proof of a legal bank or wire transfer). TDY employees and official visitors should abide by these rules, as they may have only limited diplomatic immunity. ¶9. Export prohibitions: TDY employees and official visitors should be aware that art (antiquities, paintings, samovars, icons, etc.) may not be taken out of Russia without advance written permission from the Ministry of Culture. Visitors planning to purchase art objects or antiques while in Russia should first check with the GSO office on export requirements. ¶10. Security situation: Recent incidents occurring within Russia have highlighted the continued risk of terrorist activity. The U.S. Embassy/ Consulate is not aware of any credible or specific information that American citizens or U.S. interests in Russia are targets of this terrorist activity. Nonetheless, the risk of an MOSCOW 00001209 002 OF 002 American citizen being an unintended victim of these attacks does exist. The Embassy advises American citizens traveling or living in Russia that the potential for terrorist actions, including actions against civilians, is currently high and is likely to remain so for some time. ¶11. Crime in Russia remains at a high level and often is directed against westerners. The types of crime reported range from petty theft, primarily from hotel rooms and train compartments; street crime involving pickpockets or bands of street children also is common. Theft involving the capture of electronic ATM and credit card data also has risen in recent months. ¶12. When traveling in and around Vladivostok, please remain vigilant at all times. Exercise good judgment and the utmost discretion when using any form of public transportation. If you are transiting via train, plane or bus, please make sure you provide a friend or coworker with your travel schedule, so that you can be accounted for at all times. Avoid large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures. If you are out in public, we recommend that you carry a cell phone with international roaming capability, with important telephone numbers to include Duty Officer cell phone number (7)(4232)(71-00-67). ¶13. The human and technical intelligence threat in Russia remains a major concern. All non-USG facilities, including hotels, are considered compromised and classified material cannot be stored, discussed or processed in them. ¶14. Mandatory Security Training for Extended TDY (more than 30 days): Per STATE 066580 dated 25 March 2004, effective January 1, 2005, American personnel requesting country clearance to perform extended temporary duty at an overseas location must complete appropriate overseas personal security training prior to their travel. FSI (the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute) will conduct the approved minimum four-day training class. A shorter security refresher course must be taken every five years. The FSI catalogue of courses can be found online at http://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg/default.asp. Agencies may choose to provide their own equivalent security training, if they can certify in writing to the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security that they offer training that meets the minimum criteria of the overseas personal security training provided by FSI and that training is delivered and evaluated by qualified instructors. For Agency certification, contact Assistant Director for Training, DS/T, Mr. William Armor, armorwd@state.gov or by phone 703-205-2617. ¶15. If the initial request for country clearance does not certify that mandatory security training has been completed or will be completed prior to travel, you must send an amended request to include that information. If time or urgency of mission does not allow for the completion of this mandatory security training, the country clearance request should note the circumstances and request a waiver from the Chief of Mission. Requests for waivers based on convenience or agency financial considerations will not be approved. ¶16. Currency exchange: Russia has a predominantly cash economy, with the Russian ruble as the only legal tender for local transactions. RSO recommends against using credit/debit cards for small purchases or in stand-alone ATM (those not physically located at a bank),as credit/debit card data theft is an ongoing problem. Dollar cash is best exchanged at the Consulate for USG official visitors and USG contractors, upon presentation of travel orders and a photo ID. In addition, there are exchange houses throughout the city. Official visitors may also obtain U.S. dollars or local currency upon presentation of travelers' checks. ¶17. Further information on traveling and safety within the Russian federation is available at the State Department's Consular Affairs web site: http://travel.state.gov/russia.html. Official travelers are also encouraged to request up-to- date security related information through their Embassy Control Officer. This information is available on the DOS OPENNET's Embassy Moscow website (RSO link). BURNS