U.S. Embassy Donates Equipment for Albania's Ports (November 27, 2006)

The United States Government, through its Department of Justice ICITAP program donated four Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to the Albania's Ministry of Transport. The systems will be used in the International Ports of Durres, Shengjin, Saranda and Vlora.

The $24,000 equipment will assist the Ports in their efforts to comply with International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) requirements. Compliance with the ISPS Code will result in increased ship traffic to the ports - a critical tool that will assist Albania's economic development.

The AIS is a system used by ships and vessel traffic systems (VTS) principally for identification of vessels at sea. AIS helps to resolve the difficulty of identifying ships when not in sight (e.g. at night, in fog, in radar blind arcs or shadows or at distance) by providing a means for ships to exchange ID, position, course, speed and other ship data with all other nearby ships and VTS stations.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires AIS to be fitted aboard all ships greater than/equal to 300 gross tons for international voyages.