EXBS ADRIATIC REGION MARITIME REPORTING CABLE FOR JANUARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000145 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR ISN/ECC - YWONG, ACHURCH, JBALDWIN, LSPRINGER STATE FOR EUR/ACE USCBP INA FOR BSUBER 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 ADRIATIC REGION MARITIME REPORTING CABLE FOR JANUARY 2009 ¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS -- None known. ¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD See paragraphs 4 and 5 below discussing equipment and training. ¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD -- January 13: Maritime Advisor met with Mr. Rustim Paci, Head of the Radiation Protection Office, and Mr. Nasar Balaj and Mr. Ismajl Rudari from the Kosovo Ministry of Environment during a best practice exchange between the two agencies. We discussed the roles and responsibilities of each agency and Mr. Paci indicated the need for clearer laws to identify roles and responsibilities for the control and response to radioactive materials. The Kosovars have the same issue and during the best practice visit, the two agencies discovered some of these inconsistencies in Kosovo's draft Radiation Protection law. Both agencies were appreciative of the opportunity to collaborate with one another and wish to continue that collaboration in the future. -- January 21: Maritime Advisor met with Mr. Erald Dervishi, Chairman of the State Export Control Agency (AKSHE) to discuss implementing a licensing database for exporters of dual use and controlled items. We discussed with Mr. Dervishi, EXBS's commitment to provide a Tracker demonstration and assessment, which would enable AKSHE to determine if this system will meet its needs and determine equipment needs for installation of the Tracker system. Mr. Dervishi requested the Tracker demonstration, to be conducted in early February. If AKSHE decides to implement Tracker, EXBS will fund this operation. We also discussed the EXBS-funded best practice exchange between AKSHE and the export control agency in Romania (ANCEX) conducted in December 2008. Mr. Dervishi indicated that the exchange was very useful given the many similarities between the Romanian and Albanian systems and there were many areas where they could assimilate the work of ANCEX for AKSHE. A final topic was the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control Risk Report and AKSHE's interest in having a demonstration on using the database. Mr. Dervishi requested the demonstration, which will be scheduled in March. --January 29: Maritime Advisor visited the Port of Saranda and met with the Port Director, Mr. Tafil Kola, the Port Security Forces Director, Mr. Shkelqim Selmani, the Port Security Forces Deputy Director, Mr. Pellumb Saraci, and the Director of Border Police, Mr. Selman Shabani. Discussed with the Port Director plans to build a new pier and refurbish a separate port area for cargo ships so that the current port area will be used solely for passengers. The port is in the final stages of completing its perimeter fencing and expects construction of its new front gate guard house to be completed by March 2009. The Port Security Forces conduct regular in-house training on security awareness and include Customs and Border Police officers in the training; however, they need a laptop and projector to conduct these trainings as they are currently using borrowed equipment. Discussed with Mr. Shabani drug seizures and passenger traffic flows, which he expects to increase significantly in 2009. Mr. Shabani expressed an urgent need for an x-ray scanner for passenger baggage. Border Police officers search bags by hand but there is limited screening area for passengers so when passenger traffic starts getting congested, they stop searching bags and waive people through. The Border Police's boat resources are limited and deteriorated. All officers working in the port need hand-held radios and RAD pagers, a full equipment needs list will be submitted sepcor. ¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD -- January 12-14: Best practice exchange between the Radiation Protection Office and the Kosovo Ministry of Environment. Two TIRANA 00000145 002 OF 002 officials from the Kosovo Ministry of Environment, Mr. Nasar Balaj and Mr. Ismajl Rudari, travelled to Tirana to discuss experiences in radiation and nuclear security with the Radiation Protection Office. The two agencies compared their legislation and regulatory framework and identified areas in the law that require clarification in terms of roles and responsibilities. The two agencies also met with Mr. Nikolla Civici and Mr. Konstandin Dollari from the Center for Applied Nuclear Physics and discussed the Center's work and equipment for managing a radiological incident. -- January 19-23: Strategic Export Investigations Course conducted by DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The course covered techniques used to conduct overt and covert investigation as they relate to the sale, purchase and export of controlled technologies. Participants from the following agencies participated in the course: Prosecutor's Office, State Intelligence Service, State Export Control Agency, State Police, Border Police and Customs. -- January 27-29: Best practice exchange between Customs Officers from the Port of Durres and Customs Officers from Kosovo on use of the NucTech Mobile X-Ray Scanner. Both agencies are operating these scanners, donated by the Chinese government. The exchange focused on targeting, examination and discrepancies, challenges and lessons learned in operating the scanner. ¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD --None. ¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: ALBANIA: --February 2-3: Tracker Assessment for State Export Control Agency. -- February 16-20: Equipment Training conducted by Larry Adkins at three locations in Albania. -- March 2-6: WMD Crisis Incident Management Course by Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). --March 16-20: International Seaport Interdiction Training-II by DHS/CBP. --March 25-26: Wisconsin Project Risk Report Demonstration. -- As part of LATA Task Order 112, two desk top computers, two Laptop computers and three printers were delivered to US Embassy Tirana in late December and will be donated to Albanian Customs and Border Police pending grant paperwork processing. -- As part of LATA Task Order 113, forty mini Rad-D Gamma Radiation Pagers arrived in Albania and will be donated to Border Police, Customs and Port Security Forces officials. ¶7. (SBU) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY -- None known. ¶8. (U) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS -- None. ¶9. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES -- None. ¶10. (U) POC: LT Cari Bower, email: bowerc@state.gov.