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Monday 1 May 2017 - 09:18

Merkel Wants End to Saudi Aggression on Yemen as Germany Agrees to Train Saudi Soldiers

Story Code : 632473
Merkel Wants End to Saudi Aggression on Yemen as Germany Agrees to Train Saudi Soldiers
"We believe in the UN-led process of diplomatic resolution…We do not think that there can be a military solution to this conflict," visiting German Chancellor said in Saudi port city of Jeddah.
 
Angela Merkel added that measures must be taken to reverse the "extremely bad humanitarian situation" in Yemen.
 
Saudi Arabia launched brutal aggression against its southern neighbor on 27 March 2015 in a bid to restore power to Yemen's resigned president who fled to Riyadh after Yemeni people's uprising in 2015. The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 people, most of them civilians.
 
Berlin sold Riyadh over €500,000 million worth of weapons in 2016 and earlier this month, approved millions of dollars worth of arms sales to the United Arab Emirates which is assisting Saudi Arabia in its onslaught against Yemen. But it seem that under public opinion pressure it is no more willing to sign new arm deals with due to the controversial Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.
 
Knowing that, Saudi Arabia has refrained from asking for more weapons from Germany.
 
"We accept the German reticence with regard to exports to Saudi Arabia; we know the political background," Saudi Deputy Economy Minister Mohammed al-Tuwaijri told Der Spiegel.
 
However, agreements were signed for both Saudi soldiers and policemen to receive training from their German counterparts, with some expected to be stationed in Germany.
 
During the trip, Merkel met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel waived the legal requirement to wear a head covering in public during her one-day visit to Saudi Arabia .
 
recently Merkel also did not wear a hijab during a previous tour of the region in 2007, and more, neither have Hillary Clinton, in her role as Secretary of State, nor Theresa May, during her first official visit to the Middle Eastern state as Prime Minister earlier this month.
 
While Saudi men do not usually acknowledge women in public, Merkel greeted King Salman and other top officials from the House Saud with handshakes as a lavish luncheon banquet was laid on in her honor.
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