Paris -
American Secretary of State John Kerry told Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Monday that the country would have had more influence by taking a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
A senior State Department official said Kerry discussed the issue of Saudi Arabia's shock rejection of a UN Security Council seat with Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal during talks in Paris.
“Secretary Kerry conveyed that while it is Saudi Arabia's decision to make, the US values Saudi Arabia's leadership in the region and the international community, and a seat on the UNSC affords member states the opportunity to engage directly on these issues,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Saudi Arabia stunned observers by turning down a prized two-year seat on the Security Council, accusing the UN body of “double standards” over Syria's civil war and other Middle East hotspots.
The official said the two also discussed the Syria conflict, the Iran nuclear issue and other regional questions during a two-hour lunch in Paris, where Kerry was meeting with Arab League officials. - Sapa-AFP