The British government has distanced itself from controversial remarks by its Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, saying he did not represent the government’s view on Saudi Arabia when he accused the Kingdom of abusing Islam and acting as a puppeteer in proxy wars.
 Downing Street on Thursday said Johnson was setting out his own views on Saudi Arabia and Iran at a conference in Rome last week, the British press reported.
 The prime minister’s spokeswoman insisted Downing Street had “full confidence in the foreign secretary,” but said Saudi Arabia was “a vital partner for the UK, particularly on counter-terrorism and, when you look at what is happening in the region, we are supportive of the Saudi-led coalition which is working in support of the legitimate government in Yemen against Houthi rebels.”
 
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: “As the foreign secretary made very clear on Sunday, we are allies with Saudi Arabia and support them in their efforts to secure their borders and protect their people. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and misinterpreting the facts.”
 The statement was made available to Arab News by a British embassy official in Riyadh.
 In a video posted on The Guardian newspaper’s website, Johnson told the Med 2 conference: “There are politicians who are twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives.
 “That’s one of the biggest political problems in the whole region. And the tragedy for me — and that’s why you have these proxy wars being fought the whole time in that area — is that there’s not strong enough leadership in the countries themselves.”
 Johnson said there were “not enough big characters” willing to “reach out beyond their Sunni or Shiite group.”

Source: Arab News