STOCKHOLM: The Danish Foreign Ministry has taken a decision to terminate approval of arms and military equipment exports to Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Riyadh's role in Yemeni conflict, links to the killing of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi and amid recent discussions at EU ministerial level.
"The Foreign Ministry suspends approval for arms exports to Saudi Arabia," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The ministry noted that the decision covers not only weapons, but also dual-use products, "which can be used in violation of human rights."
Denmark is already engaged in restrictive practices in the field of arms exports, but still hopes that the decision will be an additional impetus for other EU member states, the statement said.
The press release also notes that in a number of cases related to issuing permissions to Danish companies to export weapons and dual-use products the Foreign Ministry acts only as a consultative side, because the Danish national police and the entrepreneurship agency are authorized to take decisions in this field.
On October 25, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for all EU members to introduce an arms embargo on the kingdom in retaliation for Khashoggi's murder, noting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was unlikely to have been unaware of the prepared crime.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, known for his criticism of Saudi policies, went missing on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The Saudi Prosecutor General's Office said last week that the journalist had been killed inside the consulate by lethal injection, and that his body had been dismembered and removed from the building, adding that a total of 21 people had been detained in relation to the case.
In the ongoing Yemeni war, the Saudi-led coalition supports the Yemeni government, fighting against the Houthi rebel movement.
The conflict has resulted in a huge civilian death toll and led to an acute humanitarian disaster and the outbreaks of cholera across the country.
The situation has provoked concerns and criticism of politicians, humanitarian organizations and rights groups from across the world.