asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his attitude towards proposals to establish a nuclear-free zone in central Europe; and if such proposals would have any implications in respect of the stationing of nuclear weapons in that part of western Europe outside the nuclear-free zone.
Written Answers. - Arms Limitation.
471.
I would of course support any initiative which tended to reduce and eventually eliminate the nuclear threat to Europe. A nuclear weapon-free zone would be in line with Ireland's 1959 proposal at the United Nations General Assembly for an "area by area" approach to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. International agreements have since been concluded to prevent the introduction of nuclear weapons in certain areas, for example the Antarctic and Latin America. In 1978 the Final Document of the first UN Special Session on Disarmament reaffirmed that the establishment of nuclear weapon-free zones, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned, should be encouraged.
No proposal to establish such a zone in Central Europe has yet been formulated. A NWFZ in Europe will only be possible when the member countries of the Warsaw Pact and NATO abandon their respective strategies based on deterrence. There is no indication that they are prepared to do so, or to resolve the related question of the perceived threat posed by the imbalance of conventional forces in Europe. However the fact that negotiations are taking place in Geneva between the United States and the Soviet Union on intermediate nuclear forces (INF) and strategic arms (START) is a positive sign and could represent the beginnings of a process of gradual reduction and final elimination of nuclear weapons from Europe.
In the absence of any concrete proposal it is not possible to speculate about other implications of a possible NWFZ.
472.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the part Ireland is taking in the current arms limitation talks; our attitude towards these talks; our representations at them; the number of meetings that have taken place; the subjects that have been discussed; and if, in particular, he will state Ireland's attitude towards the manner of verification of the fact that actual reductions take place in accordance with agreements entered into.
Ireland is taking part at present in the United Nations special session devoted to disarmament which is meeting in New York from 7 June to 9 July. Ireland's delegation was led by the Taoiseach who addressed the session on 11 June.
Our objective at this session is to secure concrete disarmament measures which can be agreed by consensus of the international community and which will lead to realistic reductions of weapons, both nuclear and conventional, and ultimately lead to general and complete disarmament under international control. Ireland will support measures at the session which are designed to reduce in particular nuclear weapons which present the most immediate threat to mankind. Ireland advocates the adoption of a realistic Comprehensive Programme of Disarmament (CPD) which will provide guidelines for subsequent negotiations and an impetus to the disarmament process.
Verification is a highly technical and complex area which directly affects the security concerns of the states parties to any possible disarmament agreement. The Final Document of the First Special Session recognised that any disarmament measure must proceed on the basis of undiminished security to all states. This principle is of fundamental importance in the search for agreement in this area.