Trade with the Middle East: don't just focus on Saudi Arabia

In the Flemish Parliament, the majority parties (N-VA, CD&V and Open Vld) have approved a resolution regarding trade in strategic goods from Flanders to the Middle East. The three parties expressed their support for the approach of Minister-President Geert Bourgeois and his recent refusal to grant approval for supplying protective clothing to the Saudi Arabian National Guard. However, contrary to the opposition, the majority parties do not wish to focus only on Saudi Arabia.

"The human rights situation as well as the involvement in conflicts and tolerating or even supporting terrorist organisations are elements that we wish to hold them accountable for," Flemish Parliament member Karim Van Overmeire explains. "Unfortunately, this brings quite a few countries into the picture. In addition, it concerns a complex problem. We must distinguish between weapons and other goods, between supplies to the government or to companies."

Evaluating every file with care

"There are no exports from Flanders to countries against which UN embargoes apply. But there are also other countries that are involved in conflict, or where human rights violations are widespread," according to Karim Van Overmeire. "Currently, the Minister-President evaluates file by file and does so with great care. During the coming evaluation of the Arms Trade Decree, we wish to investigate whether there shouldn't be a separate category of countries that are not under embargo, but for which export is nonetheless problematic. This could increase legal certainty. However, what we will not do is sever all trade relations with every country where human rights are violated, as some would have us do. That would be kicking ourselves in the shins."