VZCZCXRO8984
RR RUEHPOD
DE RUEHTI #0145/01 0631048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041048Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7930
INFO RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4542
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0027
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 3288
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 0093
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0746
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 2986
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
RUWDQAC/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/USCBP WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

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.