Saudi denies reports of Swedish arms plant

The Saudi Arabian government has rejected claims that Sweden built a weapons factory in the Gulf kingdom following repeated media reports in the Scandinavian country. On March 22, a broadcast on Radio Monte Carlo reported that Sweden’s government had co-operated with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence to construct a plant to make anti-tank missiles. While Sweden has consistently denied the reports, the matter has led to public outcry in a country which prides itself on its human rights record. The controversy led to the resignation of defence minister Sten Tolgfors, who denied any wrongdoing, late last month. A statement carried on the official Saudi Press Agency this weekend denied that any plans for a weapons plant in the kingdom had been agreed, nor were there any plans to build one in the future. “The Ministry of Defence stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not signed in the past any agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden for implementing a project of this nature, nor is there any project in such a field now.”