AlHijjah 15, 1434, Oct 20, 2013, SPA -- Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, said in a statement today that the United Arab Emirates has followed with great interest the decision of Saudi Arabia to turn down a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. "The United Arab Emirates understands the situation of general frustration that led the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to make this decision, and the reasons given in the official statement of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, including the inaction of the Security Council on a number of regional historical and urgent issues," Sheikh Abdullah said. "Affirming its total belief in international mechanisms and teamwork, the United Arab Emirates considers that Saudi Arabia's preliminary decision touches the conscience of Arabs and Muslims, especially in relation to the failure of these mechanisms to deal objectively with the issues and concerns of the region, even, in several cases, marginalizing the views and stances of these countries on their vital and crucially momentous issues," he added.
