Iranian lawmakers have praised former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki for carrying out great services for the Islamic Republic during his five-year tenure, PressTV reported.
On December 13, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad replaced Mottaki and appointed Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi as the country's caretaker foreign minister.
In a separate letter issued on the same day, the Iranian chief executive expressed gratitude to Mottaki for his valuable services.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 260 Iranian lawmakers expressed optimism that capabilities of Mottaki would be further utilized in service to the Islamic establishment.
Mottaki's great management background in different posts inside and outside the country reflected his abilities in various fields of Iran's foreign policy, the statement read.
On December 19, Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani criticized Mottaki's removal while on an official visit to Senegal.
Larijani said dismissing the foreign minister while he was on a diplomatic mission was not appropriate, warning that such a move will lead to misguided judgments about the country.
Mottaki has repeatedly denied any knowledge of his pending removal, stressing the necessity of observing "honesty" in publishing remarks, especially when it comes to the country's officials.
The former foreign minister said he had met with President Ahmadinejad on the day before his trip and exchanged ideas on the West African trip.
Mottaki said he had never been informed by the president at the meeting about the appointment of someone else as the caretaker foreign minister or of a date for an inauguration and valedictory ceremony.
He also described this manner of replacing a minister during an official mission as "un-Islamic, undiplomatic and insulting."
Mottaki, who was appointed as Iran's foreign minister in August 2005, is the first minister to be replaced during President Ahmadinejad's second term in office which began in 2009.
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