Albania boosts border security
TIRANA (AP) – Albania has upgraded security systems at two border points with neighboring Greece ahead of the Athens Olympics in August, police said yesterday. Police installed surveillance cameras, scanners and other electronic equipment at two border crossings with Greece – Kakavie, 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Tirana, and Kapshtice, 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of the capital. Training personnel to use the equipment was also part of the upgrade, police said in a statement. The new measures were part of the Albanian government’s efforts «to secure public order and calm during the Athens Olympic Games and closely linked with the security and protection of our borders,» police said. The five-year project started in 2002 and has been funded with 12.8 million euros ($15.6 million) from the EU and the United States. Similar security enhancements were recently carried out at Tirana’s airport and the two main ports of Durres and Vlore. Albania recently created a special task force with Greece to handle security issues.
