UAE recalls ambassador to Sweden over Saudi Arabia comments

ABU DHABI // The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled the UAE ambassador to Sweden in wake of comments the country’s foreign minister made about Saudi Arabia.

In addition to recalling the ambassador, Sultan Rashid Al Kaitoob, the ministry also summoned the Swedish ambassador to the UAE, Jan Thesleff, and delivered a formal memorandum of protest over Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallstrom’s remarks, state news agency Wam reported.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, highlighted the “condemnation by the UAE of strong statements made by the Foreign Minister of Sweden to the Swedish Parliament against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its judicial system”.

Dr Gargash stressed that these statements violate the principle of sovereignty upon which normal relations between countries are based. He added that such remarks are deemed interference in internal affairs as they do not respect the religious and cultural particularities of states and communities.

“We have been informed that the ambassador has been recalled,” said Erik Boman, the Swedish foreign minister’s press secretary.

“We regret that this has happened. We have good and broad relations with the UAE, which we want to preserve and develop.”