Vol. 514 No. 4
96 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on a NATO announcement that joint military exercises between an EU defence force and NATO will begin in February 2000; and if Irish troops will be involved in these joint exercises. [26097/99]
The Western European Union and NATO will conduct a joint exercise known as CMX/Crisex 2000 from 17 to 23 February.
The exercise is designed to test, run through and validate decision-making mechanisms and procedures for a Petersberg mission. The exercise will not involve the actual deployment of any troops. The exercise will assume the existence of a crisis involving a fictitious country. It will assume the UN Security Council adopts a resolution authorising a peacekeeping operation. It is assumed that the Western European Union would carry out this operation on foot of the UN mandate and would draw on the assets and structures of NATO for this purpose. Thirty countries will be involved in this exercise, including all of the Western European Union observer nations, of which Ireland is one. The exercise will be of assistance in clarifying how relevant decision-making procedures and mechanisms would be likely to work in practice.
