VZCZCXRO5238
RR RUEHPOD
DE RUEHTI #0432/01 1620958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100958Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7157
INFO RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4507
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0007
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 3271
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 0075
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0728
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 2950
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 04 TIRANA 000432 
 
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 APRIL AND MAY 2008 
 
¶1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS 
 
-- 14 April:  MA met with USAID and US Department of Agriculture, 
Forestry Service International Programs training team, and 
coordinated the Incident Command System future training program. 
The Forest Service training program was developed through USAID as 
result of 2007's significant summer wild fires.  MA provided insight 
into the National Civil Emergency Plan of Albania and previous 
disaster risk assessment reports.  The area of particular overlap is 
the inter-Ministerial nature of the land-emergency response and 
maritime emergency response. 
 
-- 22 April:  Montenegrin PM Djukanovic and PM Berisha inaugurated 
the construction of a new EU-funded customs building at the Murriqan 
border crossing point (BCP).  Maritime Advisor observed ongoing 
construction when passing through the BCP returning from Montenegro 
in early May.  Comment:  The facility seems to be designed to handle 
a capacity well in excess of the capacity of existing roads leading 
to the BCP from either country. 
 
¶2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- May 14-16:  Capstone in Albania.  MA addressed the class 
regarding ISN/ECC EXBS program and served as control officer during 
the Joint Forces Command visit. 
 
-- May 22:  Submitted re-CAJE request for Program Assistant. 
 
¶3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- April 07:  EXBS office learned the Applied Nuclear Physics 
Institute (ANPI) leading Professor was replaced on March 20 for 
unknown reasons.  The previous leading Professor remains part of the 
ANPI without lead administrative responsibilities. 
 
-- May 19:  An interim General Harbor Master occupies the position. 
The previous General Harbor Master is apparently being considered 
for a Deputy Minister position elsewhere in the GoA. 
 
-- May 20:  Maritime Office met with Phil Johnson of Technical 
Assistance for Customs and Tax Administration (TACTA).  TACTA is the 
European Commission effort to support border capacity building in 
Albania and throughout the Balkans.  TACTA is the current, 
streamlined version of the European Union Customs and fiscal 
Assistance Office (CAFAO).  MA introduced the TACTA representative 
to the OSCE's Head of Security Co-operation Department, Jack Bell. 
Mr. Johnson's program is singularly focused on building self 
sustaining capacities within the Albanian Customs Directorate.  The 
EXBS Office in Tirana welcomed the program and Mr. Johnson to 
Albania during his first week in residence and facilitated 
introductions with ICITAP points of contact in Tirana. 
 
¶4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- April 21-25:  DTRA International Counterproliferation Program 
Advanced Training Course, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 
invitations included Croatia, Macedonia and Albania. 
 
-- May 8-18:  USCG Incident Command System training for 
Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center (IMOC) members, Durres 
was completed.  Albanian Customs, Fisheries Directorate, SHISH, 
Harbor Master, Navy, Border Police, and Port Security Forces as well 
as Private Maritime Agencies participated.  Albanian participants 
found the course very useful in improving interagency cooperation 
interesting and the interaction level among them was very good.  At 
the end of the course, the participants suggested this course be 
followed by the ICS 300 course in the near future. 
 
 
-- May 10-30:  International Visitor Leadership Program - 
participants traveled to Washington DC, Albany, New York City, 
 
TIRANA 00000432  002 OF 004 
 
 
Seattle, Jacksonville and Charleston.  Participants represented 
Ministry of Defense/ Naval forces, Ministry of Public Works 
Telecommunication and Transportation/Maritime Policy Department, 
Ministry of Finance/Customs, Ministry of Interior/Maritime Border 
Police and Albanian State Police.  The trip focused on diverse port 
operations and interagency cooperation - through observation, 
demonstration and briefings.  The IVLP is fully funded by the State 
Department and provided at no cost to participants or hosted 
government. 
 
-- May 15-16:  Trans-border Law Enforcement Cooperation Against 
Weapons Smuggling in Florina, Greece.  Representatives from Albania 
participated.  The U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki, the U.S. 
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southeast Europe Cooperation 
Initiative (SECI) organized this seminar with the support of the 
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms & 
Light Weapons (SEESAC), the European Union Border Monitoring 
Assistance Mission (EUBAM) and the City of Florina.  EXBS Maritime 
office coordinated Albanian response and participation from Embassy 
Tirana - with RSO, OPDAT, and ICITAP nominees.  The Albanian 
contingent's presentation was well organized and received. 
 
-- May 19-23:  DOE Commodity Identification Training and End Use-End 
User Training, Tirana in support of June 2007 Import/Export Dual Use 
licensing law.  The first DOE course for the Tirana office was very 
well received.  Follow on training opportunities continue to be 
developed. 
 
 
¶5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
-- None, in addition to training reference materials. 
 
¶6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT: 
 
ALBANIA: 
 
-- Operational and communications equipment grant for Customs 
Maritime anti-contraband units will move forward but without eight 
additional NVG sets as the delivery date cannot be estimated by the 
US manufacturer. 
 
-- May 30:  Maritime Advisor tour complete, commence terminal leave 
02 June 2008. 
 
-- June 2-6:  CBP Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana and 
BCP's postponed until September. 
 
--June 2:  WMD personal response training for Embassy personnel 
coordinated by RSO.  EXBS Program Assistant slated to participate. 
 
--June 07-13:  Program Assistant participates in EXBS conference in 
Washington D.C. 
 
-- July 14-18:  DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana 
- canceled. 
 
-- Summer 2008:  Anticipated delivery of the first DAMEN 42-meter 
patrol boat to Albanian Naval Forces remains on schedule. 
 
-- September 22-26:  CBP Inspection/Detection Equipment Training, 
BCP's TBD. 
 
-- September 15-26:  USCG Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism course 
focused on newly hired Albanian Port Security Forces personnel site 
will be Durres. 
 
-- October 20-24:  CBP International Border Interdiction II, Tirana 
and BCP's TBD 
 
-- October 27-31:  USCG Leadership and Management Course. 
 
TIRANA 00000432  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
-- November 17-21: CBP International Seaport Interdiction Training, 
Durres, focused on Customs, Border police/MoI, Naval Forces and IMOC 
participant agencies.  Schedule shifted to accommodate USCG MTT in 
September. 
 
-- November 3-7 Nov:  USCG Coastal Search and Rescue Course. 
 
-- TBD:  Additional USCG courses:  Advanced Boarding Officer Course 
(coordinated using Albanian Naval officer instructors and resource 
heavy training concept), Patrol Boat Engineering, Damage Control and 
Maintenance - tailored to 42 meter vessels, Maritime Operations 
Center Search and Rescue, and Instructor Development. 
 
-- January 2009:  CBP Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training 
 
SERBIA: 
-- July 14-25:  USCG Basic Small Boat Operations Course 
 
MONTENEGREO: 
-- EXBS Maritime Office facilitating TDY legal advisor for maritime 
Safety and security regulation development and consultation. 
Follow-on MA should acquire and forward electronic copies of current 
Montenegrin Maritime Laws - including new ship's registry outline - 
and coordinate with USCG International Affairs on assignment of 
qualified lawyer construct suitable maritime safety and security 
legislation that harmonizes with international standards, EU 
considerations and applicable Montenegrin regulations. 
 
-- September 15-26:  USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer 
Course 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
-- 15 April:  Albanian Prime Minister and Customs General Director 
participated in ribbon cutting media event at the port of Durres to 
formally accept the Chinese donated mobile X-ray scanner.  The same 
model vans were previously donated by the Chinese in Montenegro, 
Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. 
 
-- 16 April:  The Minister of Integration, Majlinda Bregu, and the 
Head of the European Commission Delegation (ECD) to Albania, 
Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, signed four financing agreements between 
the Government and the EC for the implementation of assistance under 
the Cross Border Co-operation Component of the EU Instrument for 
Pre-accession Assistance (IPA).  As a potential candidate country, 
Albania benefits from IPA funding for cross border activities on 
both sides of its borders with other Western Balkan countries 
(Macedonia and Montenegro) as well as with the neighboring EU Member 
States.  Two other financing agreements concerning cross-border 
cooperation for the year 2008 with Greece and the countries 
bordering the Adriatic Sea will be signed shortly, for an additional 
amount of four million Euros. 
 
 
¶8. (U) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS 
 
-- None. 
 
¶9. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES 
 
-- The Albanian moratorium on speedboats along the coastline is 
expected to expire in December 2008.  Prudent action to anticipate 
dramatic increase in recreational boating would improve and develop 
small boat near coastal response and law enforcement capacities. 
Final disposition of ODC's 1206 proposal which provides a timely and 
appropriate grant of six 42-foot SAFE boats is not determined. 
 
¶10.  (U) POC: Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov and 
 
TIRANA 00000432  004 OF 004 
 
 
LCDR Timothy Conroy 
 
WITHERS