Arla’s Managing Director Peder Tuborgh is very satisfied that, following the Danish Prime Minister’s and Jyllands-Posten’s statements yesterday, there now seems to be a platform for a dialogue, which may bring the boycott to an end.

"We’re now waiting to see how the parties involved can resolve the situation. Arla will make all resources available in order to create a dialogue which can contribute to resolving this destructive conflict between Denmark and the Arab world,” Peder Tuborgh says.

He points out, however, that it will be very difficult for Arla to recover its position in the Middle East.

"This will take years, but we want to see a dialogue that can solve the conflict and allow us to work towards re-establishing Arla’s business in the Middle East and the good relations that we’ve enjoyed in the region over the past 30 years.”

Peder Tuborgh does not wish to comment on whether the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed should have been published in Jyllands-Posten.

"Arla is neither a newspaper nor a political party, and we don’t wish to take part in a political debate. Equally, we’re not responsible for solving the conflict, but we would like to contribute to a dialogue between the parties and urge them to find a solution."

Concerning freedom of speech, Peder Tuborgh says:
”In Denmark we have two core values: one is that you cannot offend other people because of, for instance, their religion or ethnic origin. The other is free speech. I believe that both businesses and people have a responsibility for ensuring a balance between these two values. The one should not exclude the other.”