Malta and the partnership for peace

Abstract

In April 1995, a prominent issue in Malta concerned the Partnership for Peace. The House of Representatives was debating the issue, but the discussion did not confine itself within the Maltese Parliament. The question was also being discussed from various angles in the print and broadcasting media. What was the Partnership for Peace? Why was Malta choosing to enter this NATO initiative? Would it give a new status to Malta in the international scene? Was Malta entering NATO? Was it violating the Maltese Constitution? Would Malta be sending troops to fight overseas? The principal aim of this dissertation is to trace chronologically Malta's involvement in the Partnership for Peace; to review the objectives behind the Maltese participation; to examine what was done under the Partnership during 1995 and 1996; and look at the reasons given for the withdrawal from the Initiative.