Norway Suspends Arms Exports to UAE

Norway will suspend all valid licenses for exports of weapons and ammunition to UAE due to its armed conflict in Yemen.

Based on the assessment of the situation in Yemen and increasing risk associated with the UAE’s military involvement in Yemen, the ministry of foreign affairs (of Norway) has decided on 19 December 2017 to suspend all valid licenses for A-materials (weapons and ammunition) to UAE, Sputnik reported quoting the press statement issued by the Norwegian ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry noted that new export licenses of A-materials to the United Arab Emirates would not be granted in this situation. The press release added that there was no information about Norwegian ammunition being used in Yemen, but the decision was an expression of the country’s hard line on the issue of arms exports.

“Norway generally has very strict legislation and relevant guidelines for exports of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said, as quoted in the press release.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry is closely following the situation in Yemen and makes thorough individual assessments of each application for export licenses, “especially considering the risk of using Norwegian defense materials in Yemen and human rights violations,” the press release added.