Germany urges joint European stance on Saudi arms exports

BERLIN: European nations should take a joint stance on whether to halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said yesterday.

He reiterated Chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement from Sunday, saying Berlin “at this stage will not approve further arms exports because we want to know what happened”, adding that “all explanations so far have been unsatisfactory”.

But Altmaier, a close Merkel confidant, stressed that “there won’t be any positive effects if only we halt exports and then other countries fill the gap”.

“Only when all European nations are in agreement will this make an impression on Riyadh.”

Merkel had said that “when it comes to our already limited arms exports... they cannot take place in the current situation”.

Her spokesman Steffen Seibert said yesterday the government was discussing internally whether ot not to block exports already authorised in recent months but not yet delivered.

Germany last month approved €416 million (RM1.9 billion) worth of arms exports to Saudi Arabia for this year.

In the past, German military exports to Saudi have mostly consisted of patrol boats, and they have been far lower than those from Britain and France.

Germany and Saudi Arabia only returned their ambassadors in September after 10 months of frosty relations following criticism from Berlin of what it said was Saudi interference in Lebanese affairs.