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Presence in Libya positions AES as key provider of
logistical support for international non-proliferation
efforts
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The port of Tripoli, Libya's capital |
At a time when Libya is undergoing a dramatic rehabilitation on the international stage, AES Cargo is making preparations to establish a new project office in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. The move comes on the heels of Libya's announcement that it is abandoning its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and opening up its production sites for inspection. This in turn sparked the recent US decision to establish a diplomatic presence in Libya for the first time in decades.
These events are being viewed by many as a positive step
forward in the international campaign against the
proliferation of WMD, an issue that is once again topping the
international community's agenda. Spearheading this campaign
is the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), an effort
aimed at increasing the pressure on rogue states to abandon
their attempts to circumvent current non-proliferation
monitoring procedures. Countries that agree to the initiative
work to seize illegal weapons, missile technology and other
agents of terrorism on planes and ships carrying "suspect
cargo". The countries currently involved in PSI are Australia,
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal and Spain and the United States. Canada,
Singapore and Norway are expected to join the accord in the
near future.
Key Partner in PSI
AES Cargo's experience in assisting with disarmament and
non-proliferation efforts means the freight forwarder figures
to play a key role in the PSI's efforts in Libya. AES'
experience in this field dates back many years, beginning with
work the company carried out for the US Department of Energy
in Russia during the 1990's. AES Cargo was involved in
handling the transportation logistics for the disarmament of
Russian nuclear equipment making it part of one of the largest disarmament
campaigns in history.
Since then AES Cargo's network of strategically located
offices has allowed the company to become involved in a number
of disarmament efforts in major theaters of operation across
the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
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AES Cargo puts its Cool Chain Association membership to
work, delivering refrigerated shipments of festive feasts to
several American Forces bases over the 2003 holiday season.
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Turkey anyone? AES employees Dave Thomaes and Sarah Tatrallyay delivering the birds in Uzbekistan |
If you're planning to whip up a good old-fashioned turkey
dinner and find yourself in Iraq, you may have some difficulty
getting your hands on some key ingredients - namely turkey!
Indeed, while the bird figures prominently in holidays feasts
in North America and Great Britain, for much of the world
turkey basting is not a culinary pursuit.
This poses a considerable problem when it comes to
satisfying the appetites of American servicemen stationed
overseas during the holiday season. But who's going to deny
hungry armed forces battalions their stuffing and gravy?
Certainly not AES Cargo.
AES operations in Central Asia and Eastern Europe were busy
over this past holiday season handling refrigerated shipments
of the birds. 1.5 tons of turkey were delivered to Kosovo, 1
ton to Baghdad, and another ton was shipped to Uzbekistan
In recognition of its standing as a quality shipper of
perishable and refrigerated products, AES Cargo is a member of
the Cool Chain Association (CCA), a global alliance of freight
forwarders that provides quality shipping services for
refrigerated goods. The CCA 's mission is to promote efficient
transportation of perishable and temperature-sensitive
products (PTSPs) and generally uphold and advance industry
standards in this area.
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In tandem with subsidiary company Move One International
Movers, AES Cargo stakes its claim as region's premier freight
forwarder
The AES Group's Kosovo office has reported a significant jump
in the number of export shipments the company has handled for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) over the second half of 2003.
The company's first UNMIK shipment was collected
on March 09, 2001 and since that time export demands have increased steadily. The majority of jobs have been handled by
Move One, the AES Group's household goods forwarding division.
Many of these have been shipments of personal effects ranging
from 80 to 200 kg., or container shipments loaded with the
household goods of UN staff members rotating to another UN
country mission.
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UNMIK soldiers on patrol in Pristina
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While Move One has also handled UN import
shipments over the same period the majority have been exports, many of which were bound for
destinations in Africa. This is indicative of the fact that
UNMIK's operations have recently been scaled back as the UN
attempts to gradually establish greater autonomy and more
effective self-government in Kosovo.
Nikola Spasovski, the AES Group's Regional Operations
Manager, credits the company's experience in crisis-hit areas
for the success of the Kosovo office. "People have come to
view us as a company that can provide reliable service in
regions that are notoriously unreliable when it comes to
shipping," said Spasovski. Indeed, the company's previous work
in war-torn Bosnia and Croatia paved the way for the success
of the Kosovo operations. In fact, the Balkans experience in
general provided the AES Group with the expertise and know-how
to launch successful operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over
the past two years. In both of these locations as well, Move
One is being called upon to handle the relocations of UN staff
and employees of other international bodies with a local
presence.
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Company builds on previous experience from the Balkans
and CIS
While much of the media attention on the international
presence in Iraq tends to focus on the efforts of American and
British troops, other coalition members are playing important
roles in the stabilization of that country. One of the more
unique contributions has come from the Singapore Police Force
(SPF) which sent a contingent of 30 officers to assist with
the training of Baghdad's new police units. Based in Baghdad
over a period of three months, members of the SPF undertook
the training of some 1,500 local Iraqi officers, covering such
basic policing skills as carrying out patrols and guarding key
installations.
When the mission was completed at the end of 2003, AES
handled a job that was truly out of the ordinary- the
demobilization of the SPF! From its Baghdad office, AES Cargo
and sister-company Move One packed up and shipped out the
personal effects and equipment of the SPF contingent. It's not
the first time that AES has assisted with the demobilization
of a police or army force. From Canadian peacekeepers in
Kosovo to anti-terrorism training units in Georgia, the
freight forwarder has been involved with similar operations
the world over.
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Dear AES,
I recently visited Baghdad to collect a cargo for the
Singapore Police Force, the G/H etc. was handled by your
guys - in particular Mr. Eric Hemphill - very nice guy,
very professional and things went very well indeed.
I was very impressed with the whole operation - many
thanks.
Best regards,
Robert McKay |
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As anyone who's familiar with shipping in Russia can attest
to, while over a decade has passed since the Soviet Union's
collapse, the bureaucratic red tape associated with the old
regime has stubbornly lingered on.
Ivan Syskov, the AES Group's Operations Coordinator in
Russia, is well suited to provide insight into the challenges
facing freight forwarders in Russia. "A large part of our job
is making sure that red tape issues are kept to a minimum,"
says Syskov. "That essentially means two things; having people
on the ground to ensure our jobs get through customs and
keeping on top of the latest changes in customs regulations."
Both of these tasks are easier said than done. Indeed, being
aware of changes to customs laws is particularly difficult in
Russia where the responsible ministries are notoriously
uncommunicative, often not even bothering to publicize changes
to the customs code!
Ivan, who has a background in finance, worked in Russia's
banking sector prior to joining the AES Group's Moscow
operations in 2002. Since then the Moscow office has undergone a
period of rapid change as the AES Group continues to expand
its Russia operations. A native of Perm, a city located about
1000 km east of Moscow, Ivan is pleased with the company's
position and optimistic about future growth prospects.
"Whereas before we restricted our operations to jobs in and
around Moscow and St. Petersburg, we're now offering services
country-wide which, if you consider the size of Russia, is
pretty mind-boggling," said Syskov. And the areas serviced by
the Moscow office are not limited to Russia alone. Ivan is also responsible for overseeing the company's services in western Kazakhstan
As part of his duties he recently completed a trip to Atyrau
where he supervised the loading of a household goods shipment
being handled by Move One, the AES Group's household goods
forwarding division.
Indeed, tackling the whole of Russia and neighbouring regions means Ivan will
increasingly find himself on the road, a fact he doesn't seem
to mind. "It's a chance to see my country - I view it as a
great opportunity."
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On the Horizon is published
monthly by AES
Cargo for cargo professionals and clients.
Send comments, questions, and ideas for this publication
to editor@aescargo.com.
For other assistance, contact AES Cargo headquarters
at: Millennium Center Building Pesti Barnabás u.
4, 3rd floor 1052 Budapest, Hungary Tel.:
+36-1-266-0184 Fax: +36-1-266-3010
info@aescargo.com
http://www.aescargo.com/ | |
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