70 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the priorities to be pursued by Portugal during its EU and Western European Union joint presidency which commences on 1 January 2000. [25476/99]

Portugal will assume the Presidency of the Western European Union to coincide with its EU Presidency in the first half of next year.

It is for the incoming Portuguese Presidency to set out its detailed programme for the Western European Union, at which Ireland has observer status. Discussion within the Western European Union is expected to continue to focus primarily on issues of capabilities and the EU-WEU relationship set out in the Amsterdam Treaty, in the light of the continuing development of the EU discussions on how to make a reality of the Amsterdam Treaty, as provided for in the European Council conclusions at Cologne last June.