Local Editor
Britain’s Premier Theresa May defended the her government’s relationship with Saudi Arabia amid calls for her to put pressure on Riyadh over its military campaign in Yemen and human rights record.
The premier insisted that she had no problem raising “hard issues” with Saudi officials during this week’s visit to the kingdom.
"We have no difficulty in raising hard issues with those that we meet with, be it in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere around the world," she said.
May also promised to support the people of Yemen through humanitarian aid.
She arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday where she is expected to hold two days of talks with senior Saudi leaders, including King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the kingdom’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef.
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, demanded that May raise concerns about "the dictatorial Saudi monarchy's shocking human rights record."
Corbyn also called on May’s government to immediately halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia and to push for a ceasefire in Yemen.
"Unless the prime minister challenges the Saudi regime over its abuses this week, it will be clear she is ready to sacrifice human rights and security on the altar of the arms trade," he said in a statement.
Britain has also been one of the biggest suppliers of weapons to Riyadh for 40 years, an issue that has come under close scrutiny because of the war in Yemen, which killed over 12,000 civilians.
Saudi Arabia launched its offensive in Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
