In Iran no one works at foreign policy without Leader’s guidelines: FM

Young journalists club

News ID: 1857
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 11:38 - 12 August 2013
Tehran, YJC. Salehi has said that he has abandoned his plans to visit Saudi Arabia as Foreign Minister since he has not been the only entity to make decisions in foreign policy.
Ali Akbar Salehi who was giving his last day complaints as the Minister of Foreign Affairs said "I decided a few times to visit Saudi Arabia but I did not pay the visits, because in foreign policy it is not such that the minister could decide personally, rather there must be consensus. Later on I gave my criticism to those who stopped me.”

Salehi also pointed to issues related to the US and the country’s status in Iran’s foreign policy and added "It is the same with regard to the US. Can anybody at all do or say something without the Leader’s opinion?”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs who was speaking in a session held to honor journalists on the occasion of the Journalists’ Day further stated "When I was made minister I said good of the predecessors. When they arrested Mr. Mousavi and accused him of espionage I declared that I did not see him as a spy. Also, when recently they arrested Mr. Baqer Asadi I said there had been a misunderstanding. I defended Messrs. Khatami and Hashemi in the same fashion.”

"We must not slander our elders. Some countries that lack national figures adopt foreign figures, while we sometimes repel or even bury our elders,” Salehi added.

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