Enlarge image
Eurofighter: The fighter jets are a joint European project, which is why Germany has a right of veto on export issues
Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
As part of her trip to Israel and the West Bank, Annalena Baerbock (Greens) also commented on arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia. According to the Foreign Minister, the German government is open to the delivery of Eurofighter fighter jets to the desert state.
By intercepting rockets fired at Israel by the Yemeni Houthis, Saudi Arabia is contributing to Israel's security and preventing a conflagration in the region. "This is precisely why we do not see that we, as the German government, oppose the British considerations for further Eurofighters for Saudi Arabia," said the minister.
Arms exports to Saudi Arabia are controversial because of the human rights situation in the kingdom and because of the intervention of the emerging military power in regional conflicts. Eurofighters are manufactured in Great Britain, and the country has wanted to supply the jets to Saudi Arabia for some time. However, this requires the approval of the German government: the fighter jets are a joint European project in which Germany is involved, so Berlin has a right of veto on export decisions.
In July, the German government decided to stop the delivery of Eurofighters to the wealthy Gulf state until the end of the parliamentary term in autumn 2025. In their coalition agreement, the traffic light parties agreed "not to issue export licenses for armaments to states" as long as they are directly involved in the war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia was one of the main players in this war. The Greens, in particular, had pushed for this agreement in the coalition agreement.
Baerbock now stressed that Saudi Arabia in particular has known for some time the danger posed by the Houthis to security in the region. "The fact that the Saudi Air Force is also using Eurofighters is, I believe, an open secret. This shows Riyadh's efforts to create a better future in the region."
ssp/dpa/AFP