France calls on Germany to ease arms export rules to Saudi Arabia

SANAA, Feb 24 (YPA) – Germany should ease its strict arms export rules for countries outside the European Union to strengthen the defence industry, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday.

Germany said in November it would reject future arms export licences to Riyadh over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

According to Reuters, France has complained that joint arms manufacturing projects are being stalled by Berlin’s refusal to authorize future arms export licences to Saudi Arabia, a major buyer.

“It is useless to produce weapons through improved cooperation between France and Germany if we are unable to export them,” Le Maire told ” Welt am Sonntag newspaper”.

“Our hope is that we will come to an agreement with Germany in this crucial point,” Le Maire said.

Germany and France are working on a joint proposal for arms export guidelines to non-European countries.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in January the EU must deepen cooperation in defence and in particular weapons systems development, warning Germans that they may need to make compromises on strict export controls.

E.M