UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The UN Security Council on Friday condemned the remarks of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which questioned the truth of the Holocaust and suggested Israel be relocated to Europe.

    The 15 council members "condemn the remarks about Israel and the denial of the Holocaust attributed to Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," said a statement read to the press by British Ambassador Jones Parry, whose country holds the council presidency for this month.

    The statement said the council supported the statement issued on Thursday by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which urged all UN member states to combat the denial of the Holocaust.

    In his statement, Annan recalled that "only last month the General Assembly passed a resolution which 'rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in fact."

    He urged all member states to combat such denial, and to educate their populations about the well established historical facts of the Holocaust, in which one third of the Jewish people were murdered, along with members of other minorities.

    Annan also reminded all UN member states that Israel is a long-standing member of the United Nations with the same rights and obligations as every other member.

    Ahmadinejad, who in late October called for Israel to be "wiped off the map," sparked a new barrage of international criticism Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Saudi Arabia, he said Israel should be moved to Europe and questioned whether the Holocaust took place. Enditem