DAVID CAMERON was forced to recalibrate his approach towardsauthoritarian regimes across the Middle East yesterday as he putdemocratic reform ahead of winning trade orders for the first time.
Mr Cameron had intended to use his long-planned trip to the Gulfto drum up orders for British business and had invited more than 36executives to accompany him. But instead, he gave a speech to theKuwaiti parliament which would have been unimaginable just a monthago. In it, he signalled a significant move from what he haspreviously called his "messianic" push to bolster trade towardspolitical change.
"Yes, ours is a partnership based on a shared economic future aswe need our economies to grow and diversify in this challengingglobalised world," Mr Cameron said.
"But crucially, far from running counter to these vital interestsof prosperity and security, I believe that political and economicreform in the Arab world is essential, not just in advancing thesevital shared interests but as a long-term guarantor of the stabilityneeded for both our societies to flourish." He declined to name anycountries where the UK had been wrong to support repressive regimes.
Mr Cameron said Western countries needed to understand that itwas in their interests to see basic rights established in theregion. "For decades, some have argued that stability requiredhighly controlling regimes and that reform and openness would putthat stability at risk," he said.
"So, the argument went, countries like Britain faced a choicebetween our interests and our values. And to be honest, we shouldacknowledge that sometimes we have made such calculations in thepast. But I say that is a false choice. As recent events haveconfirmed, denying people their basic rights does not preservestability, rather the reverse.
"Our interests lie in upholding our values - in insisting on theright to peaceful protest, in freedom of speech and the internet, infreedom of assembly and the rule of law."
Mr Cameron rejected the so-called "Arab exception" - the argumentthat Arab or Muslim countries "can't do democracy". He said: "Forme, that's a prejudice that borders on racism."
He also responded to criticism about including arms companyrepresentatives in his delegation. "The fact that there are Britishdefence companies on this visit - BAE, Thales and others - isperfectly right in this regard."
Mr Cameron, the Daily Mail reported, later told a journalist:"Are we honestly saying that for all time, countries like Kuwaithave to manufacture and maintain every single part of their owndefences?"
A crude mercantilist doctrine stands exposed Leading article,Viewspaper, page 2
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