Manouchehr Mottaki
From dKosopedia
Manouchehr Mottaki منوچهر متکی is the current Iranian Foreign Minister. See photo.
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Political Career
Elected to the first Majlis he served in a variety of diplomatic posts inlcuding that of Iranian ambassador to Turkey and Japan. He served as served as campaign manager for conservative 2005 presidential candidate and now the chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
Background
Mottaki was born in 1953 in Bandar Gaz in the northern province of Golestan. He received a masters degree in International Relations in 1996 from Tehran University and a Bachelors degree in social science (1976) from Bangalore University in India.
Mottaki in Quotes
On December 2006, Mottaki offered: "If the United States changes its attitude the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help with the withdrawal from Iraq," Mottaki told the International Institute of Strategic Studies conference here. "Fifty percent of the problem of insecurity in Iraq is the presence of foreign troops. If the United States decides to solve this, everyone will take part to help this important decision. This is the only way the political situation can improve....When they have decided to withdraw from Iraq, then we will explain. We are in a position to help by all means for the stability of Iraq." Source: n.a. "Iran Prez: Nuclear Program Moving Forward." CBS News and Associated Press. December 9, 2006.
On November 24, 2006, Mottaki complained about human rights in Canada: "This was the first time Iran submitted a resolution against Canada's horrible, yet modern violation of the rights of the indigenous residents of this country." Source: n.a. "Iran to Pursue Human Rights Violation in Canada." IranMania. November 24, 2006.
On March 30, 2006, Mottaki commented that the IAEA's decision to report Iran to the UN Security Council was actually a diversion: "Of course certain people are after excuses and have explicitly announced that are following another objectives. We consider many problems and shortcomings in their activities as the world witnessed in the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo cases." Source: n.a. "Comments by Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki." The Acronym Institute. March 30, 2006. Disarmament Documentation
On February 23, 2006, Mottaki told reporters that Iran was seriously considering the Russian uranium enrichment offer. He repeated the claim that the Iranian nuclear program is intended for electricity generation rather than nuclear weapons. Source: n.a. "Russia Enrichment Offer Seriously Considered: Iran." Reuters. February 23, 2006.