Posted on 10/18/2013 1:12:20 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Earlier the Saudi foreign ministry said it had turned down the non-permanent seat, accusing the world body of "double standards".
The ministry said the UN needs to be reformed first.
It said the Security Council had failed in its duties towards Syria as well as in other world conflicts.
Mr Ban refused to say whether he would be speaking to the Saudi king about the matter.
"I understand that some member states, particularly some concerned group of member states, are discussing [this] among themselves," Mr Ban said.
The reaction among diplomats to this unprecedented decision has been one of shock and confusion, the BBC's Nada Tawfik reports from the UN.
France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud said: "We think that Saudi Arabia would have brought a very positive contribution to the Security Council, but we do also understand the frustration of Saudi Arabia."
"The fact is that the Security Council has been unable to act now for more than two years," Mr Araud said, according to AFP.
However, Russia's foreign ministry called the move bewildering, and said Saudi Arabia's criticism of the UN Security Council about its actions over Syria "is particularly strange".
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
The UN is a voluntAry club of thugs against non members.
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