UK, Germany at odds over Saudi arms sales

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has criticized Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, ahead of his official talks in Berlin on Wednesday.

Following his address at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Hunt told reporters that arms sales to Saudi Arabia were important to have a political influence on Riyadh.

“When I talk to Heiko Maas what I say is that strategic relationship that the U.K. has with Saudi Arabia is what allows us to have a huge influence,” he said.

“Without that strategic relationship it wouldn’t have been possible to proceed with the Stockholm agreement, which is the first ray of hope” he asserted, referring to the ceasefire agreement signed in December between the warring parties in Yemen.

Germany imposed restrictions to arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year due to Riyadh’s role in the Yemen conflict, and following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, German government further sharpened its tone, and halted all arms exports to the country.

German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday that Britain’s Hunt openly criticized German government’s measures in a recent letter he wrote to his German counterpart Maas.

Hunt reportedly argued that German government’s decision also had negative impact on the British defense industry due to joint projects, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Tornado fighter jet, which were using parts produced by German companies.

The British foreign secretary asked for exemption for such projects, to enable British companies to fulfil their contracts with Saudi Arabia.