THE GOVERNMENT is moving towards a decision to join the Nato sponsored Partnership for Peace programme which could involve Irish troops serving with Nato forces on peacekeeping missions, according to informed sources.
The forthcoming White Paper on Foreign Policy, a final draft of which was put before the Cabinet on Tuesday, will indicate a preference for becoming party to the Partnership for Peace (PFP) strategy, the sources have told The Irish Times. A decision to sign up could then be expected "fairly soon".
The White Paper, the first on foreign policy in the State's history, is also expected to imply support for Irish involvement in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions under the auspices of the Western European Union (WEU) defence organisation.
Such proposals for greater involvement in international military operations will cause considerable debate on whether Ireland's "traditional policy on military neutrality" is being or should be diluted.
However, the level of involvement in the PFP and the WEU likely to be supported by the Government is not seen by Ministers as involving a departure from neutrality, as the State would not be committed to defending other members of a military alliance.
Ministers are expected to have another Cabinet discussion on the document before it is published within a fortnight.
While the document stops short of a clear recommendation to join Partnership for Peace, it indicates that this is the route the Government wants to take.
Partnership for Peace was established in 1994. Each participating state negotiates an individual "partnership programme" with Nato. Members can become involved in military planning and exercises with Nato but it would be open to Ireland to limit its military involvement to humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.
The White Paper sets out three options for Ireland's relationship with the Western European Union continuing the State's present observer status becoming involved in the so called Petersburg tasks of peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, or taking full membership of the WEU.
While not making a decisive recommendation, the paper is understood to imply that the Government's preference is to take the second option greater involvement in peacekeeping, humanitarian and crisis management operations under WEU auspices. This would give Ireland a role in WEU operations but would avoid committing the State to a military alliance.
On other issues, the document states Ireland's opposition to major changes in the balance of power between the EU institutions. It reiterates the aim of reaching the UN target of giving 0.7 per cent of GNP to overseas development aid. It suggests a number of reforms of the UN.
The paper also suggests the establishment of a standing committee on human rights involving the recently established human rights unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs and non Governmental organisations.
The paper contains 250 pages, divided into 16 chapters. It opens with a statement of general principles governing future Irish foreign policy.
Other chapters include a general one on the EU one covering the development of the EU's common foreign and security policy international security, including neutrality the role and reform of the UN disarmament and arms control peacekeeping human rights development co operation regional conflicts, such as Yugoslavia and the Middle East trade and international economic co operation the Irish abroad and the environment reform of the foreign service and democratic accountability of foreign policy.