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MADRID (Reuters) – Spain said on Monday it would discuss with Saudi Arabia the sale of 400 laser-guided bombs in the Gulf Kingdom, after confirming last week that it was halting its shipment because of the role it played. Saudi in the war in Yemen.
"Decisions will be made on a bilateral basis between two partner countries and have signed a contract and it will be resolved amicably," Defense Minister Margarita Robles told the Spanish Senate.
On Tuesday, the ministry announced that it was putting an end to the sale of the bombs because of concerns about their use in the conflict in Yemen.
Robles said Monday that the contract was being revised and that the Spanish government would abide by the UN Charter on Human Rights.
Amnesty International and other human rights groups have denounced the sale of Western arms to Saudi Arabia and its allies, waged war in Yemen, which killed more than 10,000 people and left 8.4 million people on the edge of famine.
The Ministry of Defense said last month that it has never sold weapons that can be used against a civilian population and condemned the killing of non-combatants in Yemen. He indicated that he would examine all sales that had not yet been closed and that could involve weapons that could be used against civilians.
Robles said Monday that the potential sale of the 400 bombs was not linked to a framework agreement to sell Gulf State warships, an agreement estimated at around 1.8 billion euros.
Reportage by Jesús Aguado; Editing by Andrew Roche
