SERBIA: OSCE COUNTERTERRORISM WORKSHOP RECOMMENDED

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001484 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EUR/RPM (ROSS TAGGART/RICHARD PROSEN/ERIC STONE),S/CT (SHARRI CLARK/DON KURSCH),USOSCE (ANDREW HYDE/JULIE RASCHKA) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER OSCE SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: OSCE COUNTERTERRORISM WORKSHOP RECOMMENDED PARTICIPANTS REF: STATE 115646 ¶1. (SBU) In response to reftel, Embassy Belgrade nominates the following individuals to attend the 11-12 February 2010 OSCE counterterrorism workshop in Vienna. Both candidates would contribute to the discussions at the workshop and are in a position to influence policy. ¶2. (SBU) Government candidate: Special Antiterrorist Unit (SAJ) Commander Spasoje Vulevic. SAJ, a unit of the Serbian police, is responsible for emergency preparedness for energy and transportation infrastructure and government facilities and for investigations and operations against potential terrorist targets. As commander, Mr. Vulevic is key to developing the Serbian government's counterterrorism and energy infrastructure protection policy, and he has the full support of the Serbian Interior Ministry for his participation. Prior to becoming SAJ commander, Mr. Vulevic was a member of the SAJ and a career police officer. He is also the first Serbian graduate of the U.S. FBI Academy. Mr. Vulevic speaks English. ¶3. (SBU) Energy sector candidate: Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) Security Director Vladimir Dopudja. NIS is Serbia's oil company, which is 51% owned by Russia's Gaspromneft and 49% owned by the Government of Serbia. Mr. Dopudja is responsible for security of NIS installations and for emergency response. In his position, he is responsible for critical energy infrastructure protection and can influence NIS policy and practices. NIS management supports his participation. Mr. Dopudja has over ten years of experience at NIS in emergency response and security. Prior to joining NIS, he worked for the Serbian Interior Ministry for nearly 20 years, where his responsibilities included investigating industrial accidents and counterterrorist protection. Mr. Dopudja speaks Russian fluently and understands English. BRUSH