Smith emphasises doubts on NATO

The current restructuring and re-equipping of the Defence Forces will enhance their ability to participate in modern peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, told fellow EU defence ministers yesterday.

The ministers were meeting informally in Sintra near Lisbon to launch a discussion on how each will contribute to the new military capabilities of the EU, particularly to the target of being able to deploy a rapid reaction force of 60,000 by 2003.

Mr Smith said that Ireland was prepared to be involved in multinational peace support operations, crisis management and humanitarian relief operations "in support of the United Nations and under UN mandate, including regional security missions authorised by the UN".

But he emphasised that Dublin's preference was that EU planning for such missions should take place within existing planning procedures, notably Partnership for Peace, rather than NATO.

"It is important," he warned, "to avoid creating misconceptions in public opinion. The EU is not proposing to undertake any specific missions at this stage." He cautioned against proposals to convene a meeting later this year to agree national contributions to such a force.

The brief meeting ended without reaching any decisions. The ministers will join their foreign counterparts at a joint meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels on March 20th.