Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 5

Written Answers. - Partnership for Peace.

Ray Burke

Question:

77 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's response to the decision of the Maltese Government to withdraw from the Partnership for Peace on the basis that membership of the Partnership for Peace conflicts with the neutral stance of the country; and the Government's and the EU's response to the stated intention of the Maltese Government to negotiate new commercial, social and security ties with the EU. [21273/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

Following a general election held on 26 October there was a change of Government in Malta. The new Government of that country, implementing a commitment made during the election campaign, has withdrawn from Partnership for Peace. On 30 October the Maltese Government made it clear that its decision in no way implies any judgment about the manner by which other countries define their particular approach to neutrality or how they implement it.

The Government respects the right of any other state to determine for itself what role and contribution it wishes to make in international affairs. I would, however, note that the outgoing Government of Malta took the opposite view to the new Government and did not consider membership of Partnership for Peace to be incompatible with Malta's constitution. I would also note that other countries with which Ireland has far more in common in its approach to international affairs, such as Finland, Sweden and Austria, are participating in Partnership for Peace, without prejudice to or implications for their positions outside military alliances. At the time when Malta was withdrawing from Partnership for Peace, the Swiss Government was announcing its decision to join Partnership for Peace on the basis that it was fully compatible with Swiss neutrality. As I said in reply to questions in this House on 31 October Partnership for Peace imposes no Treaty obligations of any sort, no mutual defence commitments and has no implications for Ireland's policy of military neutrality. It remains my view that it is in Ireland's interests to participate in Partnership for Peace.

With regard to the EU's response to the stated intention of the Government of Malta to negotiate new commercial, social and security ties with the EU, the question has not yet been considered in detail pending clarification from the Government of Malta about its intentions. As the Deputy is aware, Malta had applied for EU membership and the Cannes European Council in June 1995 agreed that negotiations on the accession of Malta and Cyprus would begin, on the basis of Commission proposals, six months after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference, taking the outcome of that Conference into account.