WASHINGTON, DEC 10: The United States has rejected a reported demand by Iran for a permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council representing the Islamic countries.

State department spokesman James Foley noted that (apart from membership for Germany and Japan), ``our initiative is to have regional representation on the Security Council -- from Latin America, from Asia and from Africa. In any case, it involves three regional bodies that we believe ought to be represented on a permanent basis. It was not constructed in religious or confessional terms.''

He said, ``Certainly, we would welcome and support the idea of an open dialogue between different cultures and civilizations. I think Iranian President Mohammed Khatami has been endeavouring to emphasize the commonality of world civilization and of world values, and we hope that those kinds of remarks begin to be reflected also in the foreign policy sphere in the way nations deal with each other on a state-to-state level.

The US, Foley said, seemingly holding out an olive branch to the moderate elements within Iran as opposed to the hardliners, ``has no quarrel with the Iranian people, and we do not question their choice of government.''

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