KOSOVO DELEGATION PRAISES EXPORT CONTROL

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRISTINA 000304 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND S/WCI, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR ACKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2017 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO DELEGATION PRAISES EXPORT CONTROL CONFERENCE, THANKS EXBS FOR MOBILE SCANNER OFFER REF: A. A. PRISTINA 00021 ¶B. B. STATE 42803 Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNMIK Customs Directors Malcolm Brown and Ekrem Hajdari, upon return from their highly rewarding participation in a U.S.-funded conference, queried us on the status of what they described as an EXBS offer to provide Kosovo with a mobile scanner in 2007. They were delighted with the Eighth International Export Control Conference that the U.S. and Romania co-hosted in Bucharest March 6 through ¶8. They also raised with us Kosovo's lack of export control laws based on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540. END SUMMARY. UN-administered Kosovo lacks export control legislation based on UNSCR 1540 ¶2. (SBU) USOP met with Brown and Hajdari (protect) on March 20 to discuss the Eighth International Export Control Conference that the United States and Romania co-hosted in Bucharest March 6 through 8. Brown and Hajdari, both members of the Kosovo/UNMIK Customs delegation to the conference, praised the event and thanked the USG for making their attendance possible. ¶3. (C) The two noted that the conference brought to their attention the irony of Kosovo being the only territory in Europe that the United Nations administers and, at the same time, the only place in Europe that lacks export control laws based on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) ¶1540. Brown and Hajdari confided that they believe this is an embarrassing failure of UNMIK and they want to address it before UNMIK leaves. They also expressed concern that the Kosovo Assembly might adopt legislation that falls short of UN and European standards. They hope to have UNMIK Customs' international legal advisor draft legislation for the Special Representative of the Secretary General's (SRSG) consideration. ¶4. (SBU) Brown told us he mentioned Kosovo's lack of a mobile scanner during one of the conference sessions. According to him, other participants were very surprised that Kosovo lacked scanning equipment to check suspicious cargo crossing its borders and administrative boundary lines (ABLs). Following that session, Brown said an EXBS official indicated the possibility that EXBS could shift funds to purchase a mobile scanner and deliver it to Kosovo in 2007. Comment ¶5. (SBU) There are two important ways we can build on EXBS's timely and useful conference. USOP is prepared to facilitate if EXBS can provide the necessary expertise and assistance: -- The drafting process offers us an ideal opportunity to make constructive suggestions on proposed legislation. Our policy interests would be well-served if the Department could provide us with samples of legislation and/or key elements for a future Kosovo export control regime. -- Kosovo, and our broad rule-of-law agenda, would benefit from the provision of mobile scanners and the requisite training to the Customs Service. We will be in contact with EXBS to determine if such a proposal was put on the table and, if so, what needs to be done to advance this important priority. KAIDANOW