COUNTRY CLEARANCE TO BRUNEI GRANTED FOR ADMIRAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000106 SIPDIS SIPDIS PACOM FOR ADMIRAL KEATING EMBASSIES DHAKA, JAKARTA, AND SINGAPORE FOR DAO E.O. 12958: DECL: AFTER CONCLUSION OF THE VISIT TAGS: MASS MARR MOPS PREL PGOV BX SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE TO BRUNEI GRANTED FOR ADMIRAL KEATING AND OFFICIAL PARTY REF: A. HONOLULU 1815 030248Z APR 08 ¶B. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 00105 Classified By: Ambassador Emil M. Skodon, reasons 1.4 (a),(b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan warmly welcomes and grants country clearance to Brunei from April 8 to 9, 2008 to Admiral Timothy J. Keating and the following members of the Admiral's official party: Mrs. Wandalee Keating Ambassador Gene B. Christy Mr. Paul Hanely Mr. Angelo Manginelli CAPT Gregory M. Nosal CMSGT James A. Roy LT COL Timrek C. Heisler LT COL Guillermo J. Tellez LT COL Jennifer L. Hughes LCDR Christine R. O'Connell LCDR Amy Derrick-Frost MAJ Stephen Ma MAJ Kristin Means Ms. Donna Miles MSGT David H. Westing Mr. Glen T. Lukasik YNC Ganette M. Rodriguez YNC Jermaine Milford IT1 Jennifer R. Chapman MC2 Elisia Gonzales MR. Pia M. Teves SGT Ronald Shriver III ¶2. (SBU) Purpose of the visit is to meet with Royal Brunei Armed Forces counterparts. ¶3. (SBU) Control Officer for the visit is DCM Justin Friedman, tel: (673) 222-9670; fax: (673) 222 5293; mobile: (673) 872-6672; SBU email: FriedmanJ@state.gov; Classified email: FriedmanJ@state.sgov.gov. ¶4. (SBU) The U.S. Embassy is located at Teck Guan Plaza, Third Floor, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8811. The after-hours and Duty Officer telephone number is: (673) 873-0691. ¶5. (SBU) Hotel reservations for Admiral Keating and his official party have been made at The Empire Hotel from 04/08/08 to 04/09/08; tel: (673) 241-7894; fax: (673) 2418989. ¶6. (U) Visas: Visas are not/not needed for this delegation. Post will facilitate entry processing on arrival. ¶7. (U) Brunei and Singapore currencies are interchangeable. Currency exchange is available at the airport, the hotel or at Citibank across the street from the Embassy. Rates at the bank and commercial moneychangers are substantially better than those in the hotel. Bank hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Local currency can also be obtained from autoteller machines (ATM) at most shopping outlets. American Express, Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted in Brunei. Current exchange rate is 1USD = 1.37 Brunei Dollars. ¶8. (U) Threat assessment: Please see the latest Department travel advisory for SE Asia and post consular information sheet at http://travel.state.gov. Currently, there are no known threats directed against American citizens or U.S. Government personnel and interests in Brunei. The crime rate in Brunei is medium and violent crime is rare. Visitors should still practice prudent security precautions such as not traveling alone late at night or in secluded areas. Report any suspicious activity to the RSO. ¶9. (C) Drugs and Firearms: Travelers should be aware that importation of firearms is prohibited. Post is working on the special clearance request for the delegation and will advise the travelers directly when that is received from the GOB. Penalties for breaking the law can be severe. Trafficking in and illegal importation of controlled drugs are very serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty. ¶10. (U) Alcoholic beverages: There are no outlets for purchasing alcoholic beverages in Brunei. Non-muslim visitors are permitted to bring in 12 bottles of beer and two BANDAR SER 00000106 002 OF 002 bottles of wine/spirits for personal consumption. A customs declaration form must be completed upon arrival. SKODON