VZCZCXRO9450
RR RUEHPOD
DE RUEHTI #1075/01 3601319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261319Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6492
INFO RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4452
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 3020
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 3232
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 0052
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0691
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 2914
RHMFIUU/USCBP WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUWDQAC/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TIRANA 001075 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 NOVEMBER 2007 
 
¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS 
 
-- November 13: The DAMEN/GoA patrol boat contract was formally 
signed.  The plan calls for four 42 meter off-shore patrol boats to 
support Albanian Naval forces, and is part of the $43.8 million 
naval development project (which includes a $16 million grant from 
the Netherlands).  The shipyard facilities at Pashaliman will 
support the modernization of the Albanian fleet and potentially 
appropriate NATO ships when operational.  Final ORET (the Dutch 
government's granting mechanism) review and acceptance of the signed 
contract was completed December 14.  The EXBS office continues to 
develop training and equipping opportunities to support maritime 
interdiction capacity building. 
 
 
¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- Please see paragraph 3. 
 
¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- November 16:  MA and PA met with Albanian Customs officials 
regarding irregularities in the actions of a merchant vessel, the 
M/V BALCAR.  The vessel had been at Durres anchorage for eight days 
without entering port.  Upon departure, the ship's agent and master 
made conflicting statements regarding its next port of call 
(Brindisi or Tanzania).  On November 16, the ship requested entry 
into the southern port of Vlore and made a cargo declaration which 
included industrial chemicals not previously stated on its anchorage 
manifest in Durres.  The chemicals had not been imported into 
Albania previously, and the receiving company was also importing 
scrap metal for the first time.  The Bolivian-flagged ship was 
boarded and inspected at pier side in Vlore by a Border Police 
anti-smuggling team but found no contraband.  Two different samples 
were taken of the inbound chemicals which were later verified as 
genuine at the Border Police and Customs labs before clearing 
quarantine.  (Comment: This scenario illustrates a methodical and 
effective review of importation documents by Albanian Customs, but 
more interestingly, it serves as an example of multi-Agency 
co-operation and action.)  Customs (Ministry of Finance) alerted and 
worked with Albanian State Police (Ministry of Interior) and Harbor 
Masters (Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and 
Telecommunication) - as well as with the Ministry of Health and the 
Ministry of Defense.  Though no contraband was located in this 
situation, the processes yielded an example of successful 
inter-Ministerial cooperation, and serves as an excellent 
demonstration of the effective role the Inter-Ministerial Maritime 
Operations Center will have in Albania.  The scenario continues to 
develop. 
 
-- November 27:  MA and PA met with the Customs Deputy Director and 
the Customs Laboratory Director and leading chemists.  The facility 
seemed well staffed and organized.  Technicians stated that minimal 
upgrades to lab testing equipment have been made in the last ten 
years.  EXBS is developing a proposal for practical upgrades focused 
on nonproliferation areas of interest via a grant in cooperation 
with Customs. 
 
-- November 30:  MA met with EXBS Advisor and Assistant from 
Belgrade, Program Assistant from Sarajevo, and the State Department 
ISN/ECC Western Balkans Country Officer.  The EXBS representatives 
discussed future equipment and training needs with the Customs 
Director at the port of Bar, Montenegro.  The Customs Director 
stated the port of Bar looked forward to having mobile scanning 
capability due to a recent Chinese-GoM agreement. The Customs 
Director stated he resigned his position and plans to pursue private 
communications business opportunities in January 2008.  A 
replacement has not yet been selected. 
 
-- Novem`Er 30:  The EXBS team met with the Border Police and 
MaritimaBorder police in Bar, toured the pbopoSeD LoCatiOj bor the 
 
TIRANA 00001075  002 OF 003 
 
 
Maritime BP operations center and conducted a site visit on a 
coastal radar site and relay location. 
 
¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- None to report. 
 
¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- None to report. 
 
¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: 
 
ALBANIA: 
 
-- TBD:  Clarifying requirements for Communications equipment grant 
for Customs anti-contraband units. 
 
-- February 11-15:  DTRA sponsored WMD Threat Management, eight 
Albanian agencies invited to participate. 
 
-- February 28 - March 22:  USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Instructor 
Training and Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Course. 
 
-- May 19-23:  DOE End Use-End-User Training 
 
-- May/June TBD:  CBP Contraband Inspection Training 
 
-- July 14-18:  DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training 
 
-- September TBD:  International Seaport Interdiction Training 
 
-- September TBD:  USCG MTT - Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism 
course focused on new Albanian Port Security Forces personnel. 
 
-- October TBD:  International Border Interdiction II 
 
-- November TBD:  USCG Coastal Search and Rescue 
 
-- FY 2008 TBD:  USCG Incident Command System. 
 
-- January 2009:  Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training 
 
SERBIA: 
 
-- May 12-19:  DOE End Use-End User Training 
 
-- July 10-27:  USCG Basic Small Boat Operations Course 
 
MONTENEGREO: 
 
-- September 4-13: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer 
Course 
 
BOSNIA: 
 
-- June TBD:  Undercover Operations, Controlled Delivery Training 
 
¶7. (SBU) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
ALBANIA: 
 
-- Largely as a result of urging by ICITAP representatives, the 
Border Police have revised their administrative and operational 
chains of command within the Albanian State Police.  Separate 
articles in the State Police law established a Department for Border 
and Migration and required the creation of Regional Border and 
Migration Directorates.  On November 19, an implementation order 
created eight Border and Migration Directorates answering directly 
to the Deputy General Director for Border and Migration, which 
 
TIRANA 00001075  003 OF 003 
 
 
authorized a total staff of 1365.  Under the previous system, the 
specific strength of proper Border police was very difficult to 
determine.  Implementation is ongoing and anticipated to be fully in 
place by January 2008. 
 
¶8. (SBU) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS 
-- None. 
 
¶9. (SBU) RED FLAG ISSUES 
-- None. 
 
¶10.  (U) POC:  LCDR Timothy Conroy, email: conroyTC@state.gov, and 
Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov. 
 
CRISTINA