UK leader refutes Saudi comments

Foreign secretary’s remarks ‘are his, not government’s’

LONDON // Theresa May, prime minister of the United Kingdom, yesterday distanced herself from comments made by her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, who accused Saudi Arabia and Iran of pursuing “proxy wars” in the region.

Mr Johnson was recorded at a conference in Rome last week saying Saudi Arabia, a major customer for UK arms exports, has joined Iran in “puppeteering and playing proxy wars” in the Middle East. The comments, published by The Guardian newspaper, did not reflect the UK government’s position, Mrs May’s spokeswoman Helen Bower said.

“The prime minister this week met the king of Saudi Arabia and set out very clearly the government’s view on our relationship with Saudi Arabia, which is that it’s a vital partner,” said Ms Bower, adding that Mr Johnson’s comments were “the foreign secretary’s views, not the government’s position”. The remarks emerged as Mrs May returned from a meeting of the GCC in Bahrain, where she sought to boost trade ties before Britain leaves the European Union. During the summit, which ended on Wednesday, Britain and Gulf states announced a partnership to enhance cooperation across security, military and regional political interests, as well as increased trade.

Mrs May also pledged that they would work together to counter Iran’s “destabilising activities” in the region.

A British parliamentary report published earlier this year found that Saudi Arabia accounted for almost £3 billion (Dh13.97bn) – about 40 per cent – of Britain’s arms sales in the nine months to the end of December last year.

Mrs May supports the Saudi-led coalition working with the internationally recognised Yemeni government to end the country’s “appalling” civil war, Ms Bower said.

Mr Johnson will be able to express that position during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, she said.