Azernews.Az

TEHRAN – Former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has criticized Tehran for the "un-Islamic and undiplomatic" manner of his dismissal by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Press TV reported.

"Was the foreign minister informed of even the approximate time of his dismissal before his trip? No," said a statement attributed to "Mottaki's office" on Friday.

Once again, while dismissing claims that he had been informed in advance of his dismissal, Mottaki went on to "urge "authorities to stop their bad-tempered behavior."

The remarks came one day after the Iranian chief executive said during a press conference at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Turkey that Mottaki knew about his dismissal.

Ahmadinejad suggested that since the responsibilities of a foreign minister often demand that he often travels abroad, it is of no consequence whether he is dismissed while he is in the country.

"The office of foreign ministry is on a plane, or on a trip or on a road and I don't think there is a problem with this. Do not take it seriously and nothing will come of it," the Iranian president said when asked about the recent dismissal of the Iranian top diplomat on Thursday.

On December 13, President Ahmadinejad appointed Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi as Iran's caretaker foreign minister.

In a separate letter issued on the same day, the Iranian chief executive expressed gratitude to former foreign minister Mottaki for his services during his tenure.

Mottaki, who was on an official visit to the Senegalese capital of Dakar when news of his dismissal broke, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of his pending removal.

On Sunday, Mottaki stressed the necessity of observing "honesty" when speaking, especially when it comes to the country's officials.

The former foreign minister said he had met with Ahmadinejad on the day before his trip and they had exchanged ideas about the West African country.

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.