THE Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern, has put down a strong marker that he will oppose any move by the Government to join the Nato sponsored Partnership for Peace programme.
He was responding to a report in yesterday's Irish Times that this was the direction in which the Government was heading in its White Paper on Foreign Policy.
He warned in Kilkenny last night that Fianna Fail would not accept any erosion of our neutrality "with the creation by fait accompli of formal links between Ireland and the nuclear based Nato military alliance".
"It is neither necessary nor appropriate for Ireland to enter the Nato backed Partnership for Peace," Mr Ahern said. "There is no compelling or objective necessity or reasons of prudence for us to take such a step."
The Fianna Fail leader said that any proposed change or modification in our cherished neutral status must be put to the people in a referendum, as was solemnly promised by all the main party leaders in the run up to the Maastricht referendum. It was a matter of public faith.
Fianna Fail was prepared to support an extension of Ireland's role in the United Nations.
