As part of the continuing improvement in east-west relations, the Department of Defence has identified opportunities for greater engagement between Ireland and the UK on those areas of defence where we have mutual interests. Against this background, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides a framework for developing and furthering bilateral co-operation and relations between the Department of Defence and the UK Ministry of Defence.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding places already existing cooperation arrangements in the Defence area between Ireland and the UK on a more formal and transparent footing, while fully respecting the differing policy positions and security arrangements of both States.
The approach to developing the Action Plan has been agreed with the UK. The Action Plan will contain a detailed programme of bilateral co-operation activities for the forthcoming year and set the objectives for the following two years. Discussions in this regard are ongoing.
The MoU and the associated Action Plan will support the development of a greater mutual understanding of the policy considerations underlying our respective actions and engagement in multilateral arrangements including with the EU and the UN. It will also support training exchanges and staff exchanges involving both civil and military personnel. Finally it will provide opportunities for more joint and collaborative work in support of international peace and security including possible contributions to UN peacekeeping operations.