Iranian parliament approves Salehi as new foreign minister

Sun, 30 Jan 2011

Tehran - The Iranian parliament on Sunday approved Ali-Akbar Salehi as new foreign minister.

As expected, the 61-year-old Salehi was approved by more than 60 per cent of the parliament deputies.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad surprisingly fired then-minister Manouchehr Mottaki last month and appointed Salehi as interim chief of the portfolio.

Salehi will maintain his other positions as vice president of the country and head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. He plays key technical and political roles in nuclear policy and in talks with world powers over the nation's program.

No breakthrough was achieved in the talks held earlier this month in Istanbul, but Salehi and Ahmadinejad hope to continue the negotiations.

Analysts do not expect major changes under Salehi on other international issues, as the basic framework of Iran's foreign policy is determined by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad. The Foreign Ministry basically implements the relevant decisions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364955,salehi-new-foreign-minister.html.