RIYADH, Oct 2: Saudi Arabia denied on Sunday holding secret talks with Britain to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets but said Britain was one of several countries which have expressed an interest in supplying planes to the kingdom.

Responding to a British newspaper report that Prime Minister Tony Blair secretly sought a $71 billion arms deal with Riyadh, the Defence Ministry said Saudi Arabia “has not requested, nor received any offer — official or unofficial — from Britain in this matter”.

“There are no secret talks between the two countries over a contract to sell Typhoon planes,” a defence ministry source said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.—Reuters