ROME - The Italian government has affirmed the decision to cancel the export of a large number of arms to the UAE and Saudia Arabia. The decision was made last week, when Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was still in government, and came into force on Friday.

  The government had already decided to suspend arms deals with the Gulf states, though this is the first time a deal has been revoked.

  The export of 12,700 armaments and munitions has been stopped, from a total 20,000 agreed in a deal made by the Italian government when Matteo Renzi, the current leader of Italia Viva, was Prime Minister. The weapons were manufactured by the Italian branch of the German defence company RWM, in Domusnovas, Sardinia. 

  According to several journalistic inquests, the weapons were required by the Saudi coalition for the bombing of Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

  “It is an act of historic significance,” the Italian Peace and Disarmament Network has said, “that is happening for the the time in 30 years, since the entry into force of Law 185 in 1990 on the exports of arms. The Conte government decided to revoke, not only suspend, the authorisations for missiles and bombs to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The suspension of the granting of new licenses for the same materials and countries will also remain in force.”

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