Saudi denies secret arms talks with Britain

Posted on: Oct. 3rd, 2005 || Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia denied yesterday holding secret talks with Britain to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets but said Britain was one of several countries which have expressed an interest in supplying planes to the kingdom.

Responding to a British newspaper report that Prime Minister Tony Blair secretly sought a $71bn arms deal with Riyadh, the Defence Ministry said Saudi Arabia “has not requested, nor received any offer — official or unofficial — from Britain in this matter”.

“There are no secret talks between the two countries over a contract to sell Typhoon planes,” a defence ministry source said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

“But Britain has clearly expressed its wish to supply Saudi Arabia with these planes, as have several friendly countries which manufacture advanced weapons systems,” the source said.

Britain has been discreetly lobbying for the Eurofighter, built by BAE Systems, Airbus parent EADS and Alenia Aeronautica, part of Italy’s Finmeccanica.

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