Saudi Arabia rejects UN Security Council membership

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry appologized Friday for not accepting the UN Security Council's non-permanent seat due to the council's failure to resolve both the Palestinian and Syrian conflicts, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

"The mechanisms of action and the current double standards in the Security Council prevent the council from performing its duties and assuming its responsibilities toward keeping the international peace and security as required," the Saudi statement read.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday won a UN Security Council seat for the first time, joining Chad, Chile, Lithuania and Nigeria in taking places on the key body.

All five countries stood unopposed in an election by the 193 member UN General Assembly. They will replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo on the 15-nation council on 1 January.

Saudi Arabia, despite its oil power and standing in the Muslim world, has never competed for a place on the United Nations' most powerful body which has a key role pronouncing on conflicts such as that in Syria.