Italy lifts embargo on arm sales to UAE

Italy has lifted an embargo on arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to an official statement on Monday.

The end of the embargo was decided during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The decision was taken after listening to a detailed report by the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.

The Cabinet "implemented what had been established by the previous government, and therefore certifies that the export of armament materiel to the United Arab Emirates no longer falls under the prohibitions established by Article 1, paragraphs 5 and 6, of Law no. 185 of 9 July 1990," according to a statement by the Cabinet.

The statement noted that the UAE's military presence in Yemen has fallen since April 2022 while it has stepped up its diplomatic activities.

In 2021, the Italian government, led by then-Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, halted arms sales to the UAE over the Gulf country's involvement in Yemen.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.