Swedish defense minister resigns over Saudi deal
Sweden's Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors has resigned after facing criticism over plans to build a weapons plant in Saudi Arabia.
Thursday, 29.03.2012.
14:06
Sweden's Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors has resigned after facing criticism over plans to build a weapons plant in Saudi Arabia. “Tolgfors resigned at his own request,” Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s Spokeswoman Roberta Alenius has stated. Swedish defense minister resigns over Saudi deal Alenius did not want to talk about the reasons for the resignation and stressed that Reinfeldt would discuss the reason for his defense minister's resignation at a press conference later on Thursday. Tolgfors has been widely criticized ever since the Swedish Radio revealed the confidential plans for the country's Defense Research Agency to help Riyadh build weapons, including missiles and torpedoes, in early March. Sweden does not ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia but the secretive nature of the plans caused controversy. Tolgfors defended the plans, claiming they were in line with military cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in 2005. However, he has come under increasing pressure to resign as some of the press and the left-wing opposition accused the government of a cover up. Swedish peace activists who oppose weapons exports claim that it is exceptionally inappropriate for Sweden to sign military agreements with non-democratic regimes. A view of Stockholm's City Hall Beta
Swedish defense minister resigns over Saudi deal
Alenius did not want to talk about the reasons for the resignation and stressed that Reinfeldt would discuss the reason for his defense minister's resignation at a press conference later on Thursday.Tolgfors has been widely criticized ever since the Swedish Radio revealed the confidential plans for the country's Defense Research Agency to help Riyadh build weapons, including missiles and torpedoes, in early March.
Sweden does not ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia but the secretive nature of the plans caused controversy.
Tolgfors defended the plans, claiming they were in line with military cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in 2005.
However, he has come under increasing pressure to resign as some of the press and the left-wing opposition accused the government of a cover up.
Swedish peace activists who oppose weapons exports claim that it is exceptionally inappropriate for Sweden to sign military agreements with non-democratic regimes.
Komentari 0