Greek European Parliament vice-president and top Syriza cadre Dimitris Papadimoulis indicated that he is going to support the parliament resolution calling for an EU arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, due to its involvement in the slaughter of civilians in the civil war in Yemen.
The resolution states that the European Parliament: “Strongly criticises the intensive arms trade of Member States with various countries in the region, as in the cases of the UK, Spain, France and Germany; calls for an immediate suspension of arms transfers and military support to Saudi Arabia and to its coalition partners; reiterates its call on the Council to impose an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia given the serious allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia in Yemen and the fact that the continued licensing of weapon sales to Saudi Arabia would therefore be in breach of Council Common Position of 2008.”
Papadimoulis said that the Party of the European Left, of which Syriza is a member will vote for the resolution, and he called on all Eurodeputies from Greece, regardless of political affiliation, to support the resolution.
“I am certain that our government will do the right thing,” Papadimoulis said, in a thinly veiled call for Alexis Tsipras to cancel the controversial munitions sale to Saudi Arabia, which caused a political maelstrom and a deluge of scandal charges.
