VZCZCXRO1216
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHPS #0461/01 2940552
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210552Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9360
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1228
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1752
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUZEJAA/USNIC PRISTINA SR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000461 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PGI, INL/AAE, DRL, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINR ASEC ELTN PTER SMIG PBTS PGOV PREL KCRM KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: GOK SET TO REMOVE USG-PROVIDED BORDER 
CONTROL/COUNTER TERRORISM IT SYSTEM 
 
PRISTINA 00000461  001.16 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message.  Please see paragraph five. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The USG-developed product PISCES (Personal Identification 
Secure Comparison and Evaluation System), Kosovo's current border 
control system which is installed in all but two of Kosovo's border 
crossing points (BCP), could be removed in early 2010.  A European 
Commission project, part of the EC's Integrated Border Management 
program, will replace PISCES with a Schengen-compliant system 
written and installed by local software company ProNet, which won an 
international tender in December 2008. (Note: The tender explicitly 
calls for the removal of PISCES, which can also be made 
Schengen-compliant, once the EU system is up and running. End Note) 
According to ProNet representatives, who are working with the 
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOIA), their completion deadline is 
December 31, 2009.  ProNet is currently beginning system tests. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Minister of Internal Affairs Zenun Pajaziti seemed 
surprised a couple weeks ago when we told him PISCES was scheduled 
for removal and claimed he wanted PISCES to remain.  He told us that 
he and his team had been unaware of the EC requirement to remove 
PISCES when they agreed to accept the EC's Integrated Border 
Management assistance.  In an October 16 letter to the Embassy, the 
Minister advised that the GOK wanted PISCES to remain and run in 
parallel with the EC system (please see text in paragraph 6).  The 
Minister's letter was not copied to the EC, but he told us that he 
planned to write the EC and request that PISCES continue to operate 
alongside the new EU system. 
 
¶4. (SBU) While welcome, the Minister's proposal to maintain PISCES 
in parallel with the new EU system is not without problems.  To 
begin with, the EU may well object (once the Minister advises the EU 
of his proposal), since the original EC tender clearly called for 
PISCES removal.  Second, running two independent systems in parallel 
at each BCP is could be problematic and would require border police 
(BP) to enter the same data twice, which would, among other things, 
increase processing time at the border.  We are told that designing 
and implementing a technical fix that would allow the BP to enter 
data once and feed it into both systems simultaneously requires 
potentially costly changes to both systems.  In addition, 
maintenance and support costs for maintaining both systems could be 
prohibitive for the cash-strapped Border Police. 
 
¶5. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: The installation of PISCES at Kosovo BCPs 
was an important success in our bilateral efforts to improve the 
capacity of Kosovo's rule of law institutions.  PISCES's 
installation was also important to our regional counter terrorism 
efforts.  The MOIA's decision to transition from PISCES to an 
EC-designed and Schengen compliant system in early 2010 raises the 
question of whether, and if so, how we should push to retain PISCES. 
 There is time before the transition to address the problem, if we 
are prepared to take on the political, technical and financial 
aspects associated with it.  If we do nothing, PISCES may remain 
physically installed, but probably will be pushed into a corner and 
not be functional.  If we want to keep PISCES, Washington's 
information technology experts will have to consult with ProNet (and 
the EC) soon to determine what needs to be done and what the 
one-time and on-going costs might be. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Text of October 16 letter from Minister Pajaziti to 
Ambassador Dell: 
 
Begin text. 
 
Excellency, 
 
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and personally 
myself I would like to thank you for our mutual co-operation and all 
the support that your Government have provided to us on our way of 
establishing the independent and democratic state of the Republic of 
Kosovo.  In particular I would like to express our appreciation for 
 
PRISTINA 00000461  002.8 OF 002 
 
 
all assistance that has been offered to the Ministry of Internal 
Affairs in pursuing its challenging tasks. 
 
Referring to Memorandum of Intent between the Government of the 
Republic of Kosovo and the Government of the United States of 
America regarding the Terrorist Interdiction Program border control 
system known as Personal Identification Secure Comparison and 
Evaluation System (PISCES) of the 17th of June 2009, after 
consultation with operational level at the Kosovo Police, I would 
like to re-affirm the strong commitment of the Government of the 
Republic of Kosovo in extending our cooperation related to PISCES at 
the maximum level possible as per sections stipulated within the 
Memorandum.  I would also like to inform you that PISCES will 
function in parallel, but not replaced by the EU SIS system, as we 
consider that PISCES as such would greatly benefit to Kosovo in 
strengthening the effectiveness of border control and increase 
capacities of our police to operate such a system. 
 
Lastly, once again let me thank you and your Government for 
continues (sic) support and I look forward to continue our excellent 
cooperation in the future. 
 
Sincerely yours, 
/s/ 
Zenun Pajaziti 
Minister of Internal Affairs 
 
End text. 
 
DELL