VZCZCXRO8565
RR RUEHBW RUEHPOD
DE RUEHTI #0175/01 0671430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071430Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6789
INFO RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4493
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0001
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 3257
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 0062
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0715
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 2938
RHMFIUU/USCBP WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC-USDOC WASHINGTON DC
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 000175 
 
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 FEBRUARY 2008 
 
¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS 
 
-- February 17, KOSOVO:  Formerly declared independence; the event 
was at the forefront of regional media (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia I 
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia) reports. 
 
¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- February 29:  EXBS Maritime Advisor underway accompanied US 
Special Forces assessment team during evaluation of training 
opportunities in Albania's Southern Naval District.  Future US 
training event scenarios continue to develop through existing 
administrative channels. 
 
¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- February 04-08:  EXBS Maritime Office hosted ISN/ECC Western 
Balkans Country Officer.  Meetings were held with the Director 
General of Customs, Chairman of the Radiation Protection Office, 
General Director of Border Police, Director of Civil Emergency 
Department, Albanian Chief of Naval Operations and Command Center, 
Durres Customs Director, General Harbor Master, Director of the Port 
of Vlore, Naval Forces Training Center Commander Vlore, Southern 
Flotilla Operational Commander, and MOI Delta force commander 
regarding previous assistance and pending grants and training 
opportunities.  Briefings were also held with American Embassy 
personnel including DCM, Pol/Econ Chief, DAO, RAO, ODC and ICITAP 
regarding budget and future plans for EXBS Maritime position. 
 
-- February 8:  EXBS Maritime Office, Western Balkans Officer and 
EXBS Officer Skopje met with Border police and customs officials at 
the Qafe Thana and Kafasan Border Crossing point to discuss current 
operation and equipment conditions while coordinating upcoming 
training event in March (see training events below). 
 
-- February 12:  EXBS Maritime Officer met with Professor Fatos Ylli 
at the University of Tirana, Centre of Applied Nuclear Physics 
(a.k.a. Nuclear Physics Institute). 
All documented radioactive waste in Albania is stored in the Tirana 
facility where the meeting was held.  Radioactive materials in 
Albania primarily involve, medical, petroleum, geological and other 
industrial applications.  There are four portal monitor locations in 
Albania.  No portal monitors have been functional in over a year. 
Standard government downsizing and reduction in resources are 
impacting the Nuclear Institute/Applied Physics Centre which now 
falls under the Ministry of Education via University of Tirana. 
Professor Yilli explained that on 28 December 2007, the MoI local 
police guards left their positions as directed and the facility was 
unguarded.  Professor Ylli stated he wrote letters on two separate 
occasions addressed to the Ministers of Interior, Health, and 
Education, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
and the General Secretary of the Council of Ministers "strongly 
stating" the interest in maintaining  a security presence around the 
facility.  The General Secretary of the Council of Ministers, 
Gjergji Leshja, a former deputy Minister of Interior, directed 
security to be reinstated, which happened in January 2008.  The 
local police station now provides security to the nuclear waste 
facility but there is no designated budget or resources for the 
future. 
 
-- February 15:  Maritime Officer informally met with the Director 
of the Radiation Protection Office, the Chief Professor from the 
Centre of Applied Nuclear Physics and General Director of Custo*ms at 
the conclusion o the EXBS-hosted DTRA sponsored training.  Specifi 
portal monitor locations, origins and capabilitis were addressed. 
A follow-on more formal meetin to address details and recommended 
courses of ation has been set for the  morning of 20 March.  Th 
EXBS  Maritime office continues to engage all coccerned entities and 
provide appropriate assistance if possible. 
 
¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING HQE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
TIRANA 00000175  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- February 11-15:  Eight Albanian agencies participated in 
DTRA-sponsored WMD Threat Management course, resulting in over $445K 
worth of interdiction/detection equipment and operational training 
for Albanian law enforcement and emergency response organizations. 
 
¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- February 29:  EXBS Maritime Advisor observed internet contract 
workers installing functional internet service plan for the Naval 
Department training center in Vlore, including networking of the 
existing computer lab and establishing wireless access for the 
instructor's office hallway.  EXBS Maritime Office delivered ten 
Wi-Fi laptops, laser printers, uninterruptible power supplies, two 
large screen TVs, and DVD/VCR players which will be used in 
conjunction with two EXBS-granted generators.  Installation and 
delivery will support EXBS-sponsored and coordinated USCG training 
in March and serve as an instructor and student resource at the 
training center for at least the next year. 
 
¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: 
 
ALBANIA: 
 
-- Operational and communications equipment grant for Customs 
Maritime anti-contraband units delivery anticipated week of 17 March 
¶2008. 
 
-- March 17 - March 22:  USCG Maritime Law Enforcement 
Instructor Training and Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding 
Course at Naval Department training center in Vlore.  Original 
schedule adjusted due to five ship NATO visit to Durres 01-05 
March. 
 
-- March 24-28:  The CBP Cross Border Exercise for Macedonia, 
Albania and Greece will focus on the Kafasan (Macedonia)/Qafe Thana 
(Albania) area BCP's. 
 
-- April 21-25:  DTRA International Counterproliferation Program 
Advanced Training Course, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 
invitations will include Croatia, Macedonia and Albania. 
 
-- May 8-18:  USCG Incident Command System training for 
Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center members. 
 
-- May 11:  International Visitor Leadership Program - participants 
scheduled travel. 
 
-- May 19-23:  DOE End Use-End User Training, Tirana 
 
-- June 2-6:  CBP Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana and 
BCP's TBD. 
 
-- July 14-18:  DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana 
 
-- Summer 2008:  Anticipated delivery of the first DAMEN 42-meter 
patrol boat to Albanian Naval Forces. 
 
-- September 8-19:  CBP Inspection/Detection Equipment Training, 
BCP's TBD 
 
-- September 11-28:  USCG Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism course 
focused on newly hired Albanian Port Security Forces personnel in 
Durres. 
 
-- October 20-24:  CBP International Border Interdiction II, Tirana 
and BCP's TBD 
 
-- November TBD:  CBP International Seaport Interdiction 
Training, Durres, focused on Customs, Border police/MoI, Naval 
Forces and IMOC participant agencies.  Schedule shifted to 
 
TIRANA 00000175  003 OF 003 
 
 
accommodate USCG MTT in September. 
 
-- FY 2009 TBD:  USCG Coastal Search and Rescue 
 
-- January 2009:  CBP Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training 
 
SERBIA: 
-- 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. (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
-- None to report. 
 
¶8. (U) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS 
-- None. 
 
¶9. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES 
-- None. 
 
¶10.  (U) POC:  LCDR Timothy Conroy, email: conroyTC@state.gov, and 
Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov. 
 
WITHERS