TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Germany has decided to impose a moratorium on arms exports on Saudi Arabia due to the "growing instability in the region", as reported by Bild on Sunday.
Recent arms orders placed by Saudi Arabia will be refused or its delivery postponed until further advisement, reported the newspaper, whix added that the revelation has yet to be confirmed by German officials.
The decision was taken on Wednesday by the Federal Security Council, of which Chancellor Angela Merkel is a member, along with Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel and seven other ministers, according to the report.
"Goverment sources explained that the current situation in the region is not stable enough to justify the continuation of arms sales and delivery," according to Bild.
Saudi Arabia adheres to a highly conservative form of Islam, and is home to a number of holy sites for both Muslims and moderates in the Middle East.
The important status of the nation was clearly evident on Saturday, when foreign dignitaries and heads of states gathered in Riyadh to pay their last respect to King Abdullah, who included United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister and the President of France.
The Kingdom is known to be one of Germany's most loyal arms importers, securing arms imports worth US$400 million in 2013, reported Bild, as quoted by AFP.
It has also been the subject of criticisms, especially from human rights organization, for its treatment of religious minorities and women, as well as its lack of transparency in its court and legal system.
A latest Bild survey showed that around 78 percent of Germans believed that Berlin needed to cease selling arms to Saudi Arabia, while a staggering 60 percent of respondents believed that Berlin needed to stop the flow of trade between the two companies for Saudi Arabia's patchy human rights record.
ANTARA
