THE GOVERNMENT's White Paper on Foreign Policy is expected to be published later this month after over two years of preparation, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman has "confirmed.
A draft of the paper was sent to leaders of the three parties in the Coalition Government before Christmas, and amendments proposed by them are still being considered. The Department hopes that a final version will be approved by the Government later this month and published. It will then be considered by the Oireachtas Committees on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs.
The most important component in the paper will be the Government's view of Ireland's future role in international affairs, and the implications of this for the State's policy of military neutrality. The document will outline' The Government's attitude to the development of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the EU. This will include a view on what Ireland's relations should be with the Western European Union (WEU) and the Nato sponsored Partnership for Peace programme.
Ireland currently sits as an observer at meetings of the WEU, which is effectively the defence component of the EU. The document is expected to recommend a closer relationship with WEU than the current status, but to fall short of recommending full membership.
This closer relationship could involve participating in peacekeeping, crisis management, conflict prevention and humanitarian tasks under a WEU umbrella. In such a situation the State could opt out of some WEU operations if it chose, and therefore would not be abandoning the policy of military neutrality by signing up uncritically to a military bloc.
A statement of Government policy in this area is particularly significant now, as the EU is preparing for a major review of its structures. That review, the InterGovernmental Conference (IGC), opens in Turin next month. Most of it will take place under the chairmanship of Irish Ministers during the Irish EU Presidency, in the second half of this year.
The White Paper will outline the Government's attitude to UN reform and peacekeeping. It will also contain proposals for the development of the Department of Foreign Affairs itself. Seven seminars on aspects of foreign policy were held by the Department of Foreign Affairs around the country as part of the preparation of what will be the first White Paper on foreign policy in the history of the State.