EXBS: ALBANIA MARITIME, ADRIATIC REGION REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TIRANA 000432 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 APRIL AND MAY 2008 ¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS -- 14 April: MA met with USAID and US Department of Agriculture, Forestry Service International Programs training team, and coordinated the Incident Command System future training program. The Forest Service training program was developed through USAID as result of 2007's significant summer wild fires. MA provided insight into the National Civil Emergency Plan of Albania and previous disaster risk assessment reports. The area of particular overlap is the inter-Ministerial nature of the land-emergency response and maritime emergency response. -- 22 April: Montenegrin PM Djukanovic and PM Berisha inaugurated the construction of a new EU-funded customs building at the Murriqan border crossing point (BCP). Maritime Advisor observed ongoing construction when passing through the BCP returning from Montenegro in early May. Comment: The facility seems to be designed to handle a capacity well in excess of the capacity of existing roads leading to the BCP from either country. ¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD -- May 14-16: Capstone in Albania. MA addressed the class regarding ISN/ECC EXBS program and served as control officer during the Joint Forces Command visit. -- May 22: Submitted re-CAJE request for Program Assistant. ¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD -- April 07: EXBS office learned the Applied Nuclear Physics Institute (ANPI) leading Professor was replaced on March 20 for unknown reasons. The previous leading Professor remains part of the ANPI without lead administrative responsibilities. -- May 19: An interim General Harbor Master occupies the position. The previous General Harbor Master is apparently being considered for a Deputy Minister position elsewhere in the GoA. -- May 20: Maritime Office met with Phil Johnson of Technical Assistance for Customs and Tax Administration (TACTA). TACTA is the European Commission effort to support border capacity building in Albania and throughout the Balkans. TACTA is the current, streamlined version of the European Union Customs and fiscal Assistance Office (CAFAO). MA introduced the TACTA representative to the OSCE's Head of Security Co-operation Department, Jack Bell. Mr. Johnson's program is singularly focused on building self sustaining capacities within the Albanian Customs Directorate. The EXBS Office in Tirana welcomed the program and Mr. Johnson to Albania during his first week in residence and facilitated introductions with ICITAP points of contact in Tirana. ¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD -- April 21-25: DTRA International Counterproliferation Program Advanced Training Course, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - invitations included Croatia, Macedonia and Albania. -- May 8-18: USCG Incident Command System training for Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center (IMOC) members, Durres was completed. Albanian Customs, Fisheries Directorate, SHISH, Harbor Master, Navy, Border Police, and Port Security Forces as well as Private Maritime Agencies participated. Albanian participants found the course very useful in improving interagency cooperation interesting and the interaction level among them was very good. At the end of the course, the participants suggested this course be followed by the ICS 300 course in the near future. -- May 10-30: International Visitor Leadership Program - participants traveled to Washington DC, Albany, New York City, TIRANA 00000432 002 OF 004 Seattle, Jacksonville and Charleston. Participants represented Ministry of Defense/ Naval forces, Ministry of Public Works Telecommunication and Transportation/Maritime Policy Department, Ministry of Finance/Customs, Ministry of Interior/Maritime Border Police and Albanian State Police. The trip focused on diverse port operations and interagency cooperation - through observation, demonstration and briefings. The IVLP is fully funded by the State Department and provided at no cost to participants or hosted government. -- May 15-16: Trans-border Law Enforcement Cooperation Against Weapons Smuggling in Florina, Greece. Representatives from Albania participated. The U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI) organized this seminar with the support of the South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SEESAC),the European Union Border Monitoring Assistance Mission (EUBAM) and the City of Florina. EXBS Maritime office coordinated Albanian response and participation from Embassy Tirana - with RSO, OPDAT, and ICITAP nominees. The Albanian contingent's presentation was well organized and received. -- May 19-23: DOE Commodity Identification Training and End Use-End User Training, Tirana in support of June 2007 Import/Export Dual Use licensing law. The first DOE course for the Tirana office was very well received. Follow on training opportunities continue to be developed. ¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD -- None, in addition to training reference materials. ¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: ALBANIA: -- Operational and communications equipment grant for Customs Maritime anti-contraband units will move forward but without eight additional NVG sets as the delivery date cannot be estimated by the US manufacturer. -- May 30: Maritime Advisor tour complete, commence terminal leave 02 June 2008. -- June 2-6: CBP Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana and BCP's postponed until September. --June 2: WMD personal response training for Embassy personnel coordinated by RSO. EXBS Program Assistant slated to participate. --June 07-13: Program Assistant participates in EXBS conference in Washington D.C. -- July 14-18: DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana - canceled. -- Summer 2008: Anticipated delivery of the first DAMEN 42-meter patrol boat to Albanian Naval Forces remains on schedule. -- September 22-26: CBP Inspection/Detection Equipment Training, BCP's TBD. -- September 15-26: USCG Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism course focused on newly hired Albanian Port Security Forces personnel site will be Durres. -- October 20-24: CBP International Border Interdiction II, Tirana and BCP's TBD -- October 27-31: USCG Leadership and Management Course. TIRANA 00000432 003 OF 004 -- November 17-21: CBP International Seaport Interdiction Training, Durres, focused on Customs, Border police/MoI, Naval Forces and IMOC participant agencies. Schedule shifted to accommodate USCG MTT in September. -- November 3-7 Nov: USCG Coastal Search and Rescue Course. -- TBD: Additional USCG courses: Advanced Boarding Officer Course (coordinated using Albanian Naval officer instructors and resource heavy training concept),Patrol Boat Engineering, Damage Control and Maintenance - tailored to 42 meter vessels, Maritime Operations Center Search and Rescue, and Instructor Development. -- January 2009: CBP Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training SERBIA: -- July 14-25: USCG Basic Small Boat Operations Course MONTENEGREO: -- EXBS Maritime Office facilitating TDY legal advisor for maritime Safety and security regulation development and consultation. Follow-on MA should acquire and forward electronic copies of current Montenegrin Maritime Laws - including new ship's registry outline - and coordinate with USCG International Affairs on assignment of qualified lawyer construct suitable maritime safety and security legislation that harmonizes with international standards, EU considerations and applicable Montenegrin regulations. -- September 15-26: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer Course ¶7. (SBU) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY -- 15 April: Albanian Prime Minister and Customs General Director participated in ribbon cutting media event at the port of Durres to formally accept the Chinese donated mobile X-ray scanner. The same model vans were previously donated by the Chinese in Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. -- 16 April: The Minister of Integration, Majlinda Bregu, and the Head of the European Commission Delegation (ECD) to Albania, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, signed four financing agreements between the Government and the EC for the implementation of assistance under the Cross Border Co-operation Component of the EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). As a potential candidate country, Albania benefits from IPA funding for cross border activities on both sides of its borders with other Western Balkan countries (Macedonia and Montenegro) as well as with the neighboring EU Member States. Two other financing agreements concerning cross-border cooperation for the year 2008 with Greece and the countries bordering the Adriatic Sea will be signed shortly, for an additional amount of four million Euros. ¶8. (U) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS -- None. ¶9. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES -- The Albanian moratorium on speedboats along the coastline is expected to expire in December 2008. Prudent action to anticipate dramatic increase in recreational boating would improve and develop small boat near coastal response and law enforcement capacities. Final disposition of ODC's 1206 proposal which provides a timely and appropriate grant of six 42-foot SAFE boats is not determined. ¶10. (U) POC: Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov and TIRANA 00000432 004 OF 004 LCDR Timothy Conroy WITHERS