Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans in relation to NATO membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8960/13]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans in relation to NATO membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8961/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 52 together.

The Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, visited Dublin on the 12^th and 13^th of February. He did so at the invitation of the High Representative and Minister Shatter to participate in the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers which was held at Dublin Castle.

It is customary practice that the EU invites NATO to participate in the informal meeting of the Defence Ministers which is hosted by the rotating Presidency once every six months. On this occasion a decision was also taken to invite the UN to participate in the meeting. This was the first time that an invitation has been extended to the UN to attend an EU Ministerial meeting.

During his visit the Mr. Rasmussen expressed his appreciation for the cooperation NATO has had with Ireland since we joined the Partnership for Peace in 1999. He paid tribute to the contribution Ireland has made to UN-led peacekeeping missions and to UN-mandated missions which are led by regional organisations such as NATO and the EU.

As the Deputy has stated the Secretary General was reported as saying that NATO would welcome any application by Ireland. It should also be noted that Mr. Rasmussen was also quoted as stating that it is a matter for countries to decide how they wish to develop their relationship and partnership with NATO.

In relation to Ireland’s relationship with NATO, I can confirm that this Government does not intend to join NATO. Our cooperation with NATO will continue to be conducted through the Partnership for Peace, a partnership which the Secretary General also stated in the publication referred to by the Deputy is, “a partnership that fully respects Ireland’s policy of neutrality ”.