POLAND: SMOOTH SAILING AHEAD FOR COAST GUARD PORT

UNCLAS WARSAW 000189 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EEB/TRA HAYWOOD AND EUN/NCE PUTNEY COAST GUARD ROTTERDAM FOR HUDSON AND BOYLES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT PREL PGOV PL SUBJECT: POLAND: SMOOTH SAILING AHEAD FOR COAST GUARD PORT SECURITY VISIT ¶1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) Econoff accompanied a team of U.S. Coast Guard officers to a meeting on January 29 with Polish officials to discuss an upcoming port facility visit under the International Port Security Program (IPSP). The Polish participants included administrators from Poland's Maritime Security Department as well as representatives of the port operators from Gdynia and Szczecin. During the meeting, the Polish officials pledged their full cooperation with the Coast Guard to carry out the visit. The meeting participants scheduled visits to Gdansk and Gdynia for February 26-27, and Szczecin for February 28. They also identified specific areas of the ports that would be focus of the visits. ¶3. (U) The IPSP is designed to help foreign ports carry out the provisions of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS Code). The ISPS Code is part of the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, and sets out minimum security arrangements for ships, ports, and coast guard agencies. The U.S. Coast Guard conducts visits under the IPSP to discuss issues of port security and share best practices with foreign port operators and governmental agencies. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: This visit was a pleasant change from previous attempts to discuss port security with the GOP. Under the previous government it was difficult to even meet with GOP officials on maritime security issues. The efficient, business-like meeting and promise to cooperate on port security issues was good news for the USG and GOP. We note that under the Kaczynski government, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs was created and then led by a 26 year old minister with no maritime or managerial experience. We believe that this meeting is another indicator that business is starting to return to normal under the new Tusk government. ASHE