Theresa May in Saudi Arabia: 'No difficulty in raising hard issues'
The Prime Minister is visiting Saudi Arabia trying to balance trade and security relationships with Britain's principles.
Wednesday 5 April 2017 05:43, UK
Trade and security will be top of the agenda when the Prime Minister meets King Salman of Saudi Arabia later today.
But back in the UK, there are calls for her to bring up more challenging issues with her hosts, such as their record on human rights and their actions in Yemen.
Theresa May told Sky News that she has "no difficultly in raising hard issues with those that we meet".
She added: "What matters is we have the relationship of engagement so that enables us to do that.
"But we'll also be talking about the important relationship with Saudi Arabia in terms of trade but also security.
"Our cooperation has helped save lives in the UK."
But the visit has proved controversial politically and with campaigning groups as the Prime Minister offers UK assistance to Saudi Arabia in reforming its Ministry of Defence, reviewing Saudi defence capabilities and the integration of its armed forces.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May should raise the "war crimes" being committed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, as well as the jailing of Saudi dissidents domestically.
Mr Corbyn said the British-Saudi relationship was "damaging to the people of Saudi Arabia, Britain and the wider Middle East".
Around 10,000 Yemeni civilians have been killed and more than three million displaced in the British-backed Saudi military campaign in Yemen.
Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron said the PM was "costing up to Saudi" by "putting profit before principle".
The PM stressed that British aid was helping Yemeni civilians, but did not criticise the military campaign. She has said that the "May doctrine" on foreign policy is pursuing the British national interest and not "sniping from the sidelines".
She told Sky News that "both the strong British tradition of standing up for rights is there - and standing up for the national interest".
Also on Wednesday, the PM will join chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Xavier Rolet in meeting the energy minister and chief executive of oil giant Aramco Khalid al-Falih.
The LSE is in a battle on behalf of the City for the flotation of the $2tn Saudi oil giant next year in a key test of its post-Brexit pull.
The UK is also in the early stages of trying to agree a post-Brexit free trade deal with the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia. Attempts to sign a deal between the GCC and the EU have stalled over the past decade.
The Prime Minister is also due to meet Princess Reema while in Saudi Arabia.
Princess Reema is vice president of the Saudi General Sports Authority and leads the Saudi Government efforts to increase diversity and participation in sport.
No 10 said that Britain will support Saudi Arabia to increase opportunities for men and women across the country to participate in sport.
The PM met deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday and announced her "firm support" for Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reform program, which seeks to lessen Saudi dependence on oil and suggests improvements in women's rights.
Mrs May said described the program as an "ambitious blueprint" for internal reform "to deliver greater inclusivity".