British arms sales to Saudis able to resume as Merkel relaxes ban

A MAJOR obstacle blocking controversial British arms sales to Saudi Arabia has been partially removed after Germany relaxed a ban on weapons exports to the Gulf kingdom.

Angela Merkel’s government agreed the ban would no longer apply to existing joint projects with European partners after intense lobbying from the UK and France.

The decision means British contractors will be able to resume supplying parts for Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft used by the Saudi air force in the war in neighbouring Yemen.

Germany imposed a complete ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia last year in the wake of the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. To the anger of the UK and France, the ban also applied to German components for joint projects with European partners.

Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, wrote to his German counterpart earlier this year to warn of “the impact of the German government’s decision on the British and European arms industries”.

Mr Hunt singled out BAE Systems, Britain’s largest defence contractor, which he said could not fulfil deals to deliver new Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia or service the kingdom’s existing fighters because it could not source German components. He warned that Berlin was risking “a loss of confidence in Germany’s credibility as a partner”.

The leader of the Houthi movement in Yemen condemned Mr Hunt’s demand for Germany to relax the ban. “Britain sending aid does not change the tragic reality of its arms sales. Jeremy Hunt cannot promote peace while at the same time acting as an arms salesman,” Mohammed Ali al-houthi told The Guardian.

Mrs Merkel has also come under pressure from German defence manufacturers to end the ban, and the chancellor made clear in recent weeks she was open to at least a partial lifting. But she faced intense opposition from her main coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).

The decision to relax the ban for joint projects was a compromise hammered out in closed-door meetings between the coalition partners.

Under the compromise, the ban will be extended for another six months, but existing joint projects with European partners will be exempt provided they meet strict conditions.

One condition is that no fully assembled new weapons may be shipped to Saudi Arabia, which would appear to prevent delivery of new Eurofighters.

The other condition is that Germany’s European partners ensure any arms they supply to Saudi Arabia are not used in the war in Yemen.

The UK has been criticised by human rights groups for granting export licences to Saudi Arabia. A House of Lords committee found that government export licences to Saudi Arabia breach international humanitarian law.

The government denies that British arms are used by the Saudis in breach of international law, and argues maintaining good relations enables Britain to exert influence over the kingdom.