Germany mulls decision to halt Saudi arms export

INTENSIVE discussions are underway in the German government on how to deal with arms exports to Saudi Arabia that have already been approved but not yet delivered, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said yesterday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed on Monday to halt all German arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is cleared up.

Asked whether this included arms exports that had already been approved but not yet delivered, Seibert told reporters: “Regarding the question of how to deal with permits already granted, or goods that have not yet been delivered, there are intensive discussions in the government on this at the moment, and we will have to examine this very carefully.”

A spokesperson for the economy ministry said German officials were in close touch with other European countries about the issue, but declined to provide any details about progress in Berlin’s push to ensure a unified European response.

“We’re working on it,” the spokesperson said.

Germany has been more outspoken than other countries about stopping arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi’s death in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday refused to take questions about halting arms sales. From 2008-17, Saudi Arabia was the second-biggest purchaser of French arms, with deals totalling more than €11 billion.

German weapons account for under 2% of Saudi Arabia’s arms purchases.

Merkel’s centre-left coalition government has slowed approvals for all arms exports since taking office in March, an industry source said.

A poll released yesterday by Die Welt newspaper amid the backlash against the killing of Khashoggi, showed that 65% of Germans believed Germany should stop doing business with Saudi Arabia.