Greek lawmakers postpone debate on Saudi arms deal

By Tony Rigopoulos

ATHENS

Greek lawmakers have postponed Thursday’s scheduled debate on a controversial multi-million-euro arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

The debate was prompted by the main opposition New Democracy party. The party’s questions were to have been directed at Defense Minister Panos Kammenos and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

However, parliament decided to postpone the debate to Monday, upon an official request by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who is currently in Paris.

Tsipras said he would not “tolerate distortions and graphic attacks” and asked the president of parliament, Nikos Voutsis, to “resubmit the discussion of the relevant topical question for Monday, Nov. 27”.

According to a deal reached in June 2017, Greece is to sell 300,000 105mm missiles, worth almost €66 million ($78 million), to Saudi Arabia.

This sale was reached through a Greek intermediate who is described by the initials V.P., with whom the Greek armed forces have allegedly dealt.

V.P.’s commercial company was presented as an official representative of the Saudi government, a claim not yet confirmed by official documents.

Greek opposition lawmakers argue such agreements can can only be reached through “government to government” deals, and not through private intermediates.

According to Greek media, the Saudi armed forces have also expressed concern about the nature of the deal.

The decision to postpone this parliamentary debate comes only four days after the European Commission ordered Greece to recover €55 million ($65 million) in aid from its largely state-owned weapons manufacturer.