US regrets losing UNESCO voting rights
The United States Friday expressed "regret" at losing voting rights at UNESCO, two years after Washington and Israel stopped funding the UN cultural body over Palestinian admission.
Congressional restrictions on US payment of UNESCO dues were triggered when the Palestinians gained membership to the Paris-based body as a state in 2011. "We regret that today the United States lost its vote," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. In a statement, she however noted that "a loss of vote... is not a loss of US membership," saying the US intends to continue its participation. (AFP)
