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