Iran's Parliament Backs Nuclear Chief As Next Foreign Minister
Source: RFE/RLIran's parliament has officially endorsed the country's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, as the next foreign minister. Salehi's candidacy was backed by 146 of the 241 Iranian lawmakers who voted in the conservative-dominated parliament today.
Ali Akbar Salehi previously
headed Iran's Atomic Energy Organization
Speaking before the vote, Salehi told lawmakers the dispute
with the international community over Tehran's controversial nuclear program was
"one of the important agendas of the foreign policy."
The West fears Iran is trying to secretly build nuclear weapons under cover of a
civilian nuclear energy program. Tehran denies the charges.
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad introduced Salehi to parliament before the vote,
saying Iran needed a "foreign policy that is utterly transparent, active,
powerful, and influential."
Ahmadinejad speaking at the Parliament
Ahmadinejad appointed Salehi on December 13 as caretaker foreign minister after he sacked Manuchehr Mottaki, who had been foreign minister for more than five years.
Salehi previously headed Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.
compiled from agency reports
Copyright (c) 2011 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
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