EXBS: ALBANIA MARITIME, ADRIATIC REGION REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TIRANA 001075 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR ISN/ECC - YWONG, ACHURCH, JBALDWIN, LSPRINGER STATE FOR EUR/ACE USCBP INA FOR JGOUGE, PWARKER SECDEF FOR DTRA CDRAKE USDOE FOR TMUSTIN, EMELAMED, KGARNER VIENNA PLEASE PASS TO ICE ATTACHE E.O. 12958 : N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP AL SUBJECT: EXBS: ALBANIA MARITIME, ADRIATIC REGION REPORTING CABLE FOR NOVEMBER 2007 ¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS -- November 13: The DAMEN/GoA patrol boat contract was formally signed. The plan calls for four 42 meter off-shore patrol boats to support Albanian Naval forces, and is part of the $43.8 million naval development project (which includes a $16 million grant from the Netherlands). The shipyard facilities at Pashaliman will support the modernization of the Albanian fleet and potentially appropriate NATO ships when operational. Final ORET (the Dutch government's granting mechanism) review and acceptance of the signed contract was completed December 14. The EXBS office continues to develop training and equipping opportunities to support maritime interdiction capacity building. ¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD -- Please see paragraph 3. ¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD -- November 16: MA and PA met with Albanian Customs officials regarding irregularities in the actions of a merchant vessel, the M/V BALCAR. The vessel had been at Durres anchorage for eight days without entering port. Upon departure, the ship's agent and master made conflicting statements regarding its next port of call (Brindisi or Tanzania). On November 16, the ship requested entry into the southern port of Vlore and made a cargo declaration which included industrial chemicals not previously stated on its anchorage manifest in Durres. The chemicals had not been imported into Albania previously, and the receiving company was also importing scrap metal for the first time. The Bolivian-flagged ship was boarded and inspected at pier side in Vlore by a Border Police anti-smuggling team but found no contraband. Two different samples were taken of the inbound chemicals which were later verified as genuine at the Border Police and Customs labs before clearing quarantine. (Comment: This scenario illustrates a methodical and effective review of importation documents by Albanian Customs, but more interestingly, it serves as an example of multi-Agency co-operation and action.) Customs (Ministry of Finance) alerted and worked with Albanian State Police (Ministry of Interior) and Harbor Masters (Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Telecommunication) - as well as with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense. Though no contraband was located in this situation, the processes yielded an example of successful inter-Ministerial cooperation, and serves as an excellent demonstration of the effective role the Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center will have in Albania. The scenario continues to develop. -- November 27: MA and PA met with the Customs Deputy Director and the Customs Laboratory Director and leading chemists. The facility seemed well staffed and organized. Technicians stated that minimal upgrades to lab testing equipment have been made in the last ten years. EXBS is developing a proposal for practical upgrades focused on nonproliferation areas of interest via a grant in cooperation with Customs. -- November 30: MA met with EXBS Advisor and Assistant from Belgrade, Program Assistant from Sarajevo, and the State Department ISN/ECC Western Balkans Country Officer. The EXBS representatives discussed future equipment and training needs with the Customs Director at the port of Bar, Montenegro. The Customs Director stated the port of Bar looked forward to having mobile scanning capability due to a recent Chinese-GoM agreement. The Customs Director stated he resigned his position and plans to pursue private communications business opportunities in January 2008. A replacement has not yet been selected. -- Novem`Er 30: The EXBS team met with the Border Police and MaritimaBorder police in Bar, toured the pbopoSeD LoCatiOj bor the TIRANA 00001075 002 OF 003 Maritime BP operations center and conducted a site visit on a coastal radar site and relay location. ¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD -- None to report. ¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD -- None to report. ¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: ALBANIA: -- TBD: Clarifying requirements for Communications equipment grant for Customs anti-contraband units. -- February 11-15: DTRA sponsored WMD Threat Management, eight Albanian agencies invited to participate. -- February 28 - March 22: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Instructor Training and Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Course. -- May 19-23: DOE End Use-End-User Training -- May/June TBD: CBP Contraband Inspection Training -- July 14-18: DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training -- September TBD: International Seaport Interdiction Training -- September TBD: USCG MTT - Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism course focused on new Albanian Port Security Forces personnel. -- October TBD: International Border Interdiction II -- November TBD: USCG Coastal Search and Rescue -- FY 2008 TBD: USCG Incident Command System. -- January 2009: Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training SERBIA: -- May 12-19: DOE End Use-End User Training -- July 10-27: USCG Basic Small Boat Operations Course MONTENEGREO: -- September 4-13: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer Course BOSNIA: -- June TBD: Undercover Operations, Controlled Delivery Training ¶7. (SBU) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ALBANIA: -- Largely as a result of urging by ICITAP representatives, the Border Police have revised their administrative and operational chains of command within the Albanian State Police. Separate articles in the State Police law established a Department for Border and Migration and required the creation of Regional Border and Migration Directorates. On November 19, an implementation order created eight Border and Migration Directorates answering directly to the Deputy General Director for Border and Migration, which TIRANA 00001075 003 OF 003 authorized a total staff of 1365. Under the previous system, the specific strength of proper Border police was very difficult to determine. Implementation is ongoing and anticipated to be fully in place by January 2008. ¶8. (SBU) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS -- None. ¶9. (SBU) RED FLAG ISSUES -- None. ¶10. (U) POC: LCDR Timothy Conroy, email: conroyTC@state.gov, and Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov. CRISTINA