Iran's parliament on January 30 narrowly approved President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's choice of Ali Akbar Salehi as foreign minister after his predecessor was abruptly sacked during an official visit to Africa last year.

"Salehi secured the vote of confidence from the legislative body by getting 146 votes," parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said. Parliament has 294 seats and 243 MPs were present for the vote on Sunday.

"Today we need a very transparent, active, powerful and influential foreign policy," Ahmadinejad told parliament in an address.

He added: "Cooperation between the government and parliament is very important and, through this cooperation, we should disappoint our enemies."

Ahmadinejad wanted Salehi to be his foreign affairs chief when he became president in 2005, but factional pressures forced him to accept Manouchehr Mottaki, whose relations with the president were never smooth, Reuters reported.