Iran's new foreign minister: We will adopt a balanced policy, and priority will be given to neighboring countries and Asia

The new Iranian foreign minister said that his country is determined to adopt a balanced foreign policy, and pointed out that neighboring countries and Asia are at the forefront of priorities during his tenure in the ministry.

The new Iranian foreign minister: We are determined to adopt a balanced, active and intelligent foreign policy based on the principles of dignity, wisdom and interest (Sabah Arar/AFP)

The new Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, affirmed that "Tehran is determined to adopt a balanced foreign policy," noting that "neighboring countries come at the forefront of priorities during his tenure in the ministry."

This came in a series of tweets published by the new minister, on his personal Twitter account, on Wednesday, after he won the confidence of Parliament by obtaining 270 votes in support of him as one of the members of the government presented by President Ibrahim Raisi.

In his tweets, the minister said, "I feel proud that, with the confidence of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, I have become a representative of the great people of Iran in terms of foreign policy and international relations."

"We are determined to adopt a balanced, active and intelligent foreign policy based on the principles of dignity, wisdom and interest," he added.

He pointed out that "neighboring countries and Asian countries come at the forefront of the priorities of his tenure in the ministry."

On the other hand, former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Twitter: "I congratulate my colleague Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who has been working in diplomacy for a long time, and I wish him, the ministry and the new administration success in international relations."

And on Wednesday, the Iranian parliament agreed to grant confidence to the government proposed by the country's new president, Ibrahim Raisi, with the exception of one minister.

Parliament approved the 18 names proposed by the president to form the new government, with the exception of the candidate of the Ministry of Education, Hussein Bagol, after discussions that lasted 5 days.

Accordingly, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who supports the policy of standing far from the West, became Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Abdullahian held the position of Iran's ambassador to Bahrain for a period during the term of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the position of Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs during the terms of Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani.

The new government was criticized by some parliamentarians for being devoid of women and Sunnis.