COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO AMB. NULAND

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000241 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE OF EUR/EX AND EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT NATO OTRA SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO AMB. NULAND REF: USNATO 202 ¶1. US Office Pristina welcomes and grants country clearance to Ambassador Victoria Nuland to visit Pristina, Kosovo April 2, 2007. The purpose of the visit is in conjunction with an organized visit of NATO Permanent Representative to KFOR. Point of Contact for this visit is Poloff 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 understands that Ambassador Nuland does not require assistance from USOP. ¶3. Kosovo is a cash (Euro) economy. There are 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 while in Kosovo. Cash or travelers' checks may be exchanged 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. 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 (Kosovo Force) is deployed throughout Kosovo. Electronic devices such as laptops, personal computers, PDA's or cell phones with cameras are prohibited in USOP facilities without prior approval from the Regional Security Officer. ¶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