Agence France-Presse,
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia denied on Sunday that it was engaged in secret negotiations with Britain over a $70-billion arms deal, but acknowledged that London would like to sell Typhoon fighter planes to Riyadh.
“There are no secret negotiations between the two countries on the deal to sell the Typhoon planes,” a defense ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state news agency SPA.
“But the British side has openly expressed a desire to supply Saudi Arabia with these planes, like any of the many friendly countries which produce sophisticated weapons systems,” he said.
The spokesman said that, “the Saudi government did not ask for or receive any official or unofficial offer from the British side on this subject.
“Saudi Arabia has the right to defend its territory by developing its weapons systems or acquiring new systems from any country in the world.”
Saudi Arabia's arms purchases were driven by “operational needs, and not against any political deals with these countries”.
On September 27 the British newspaper The Guardian reported that Britain has been in secret discussions with Saudi Arabia over an arms deal worth up to 40 billion pounds Sterling ($71 billion,
