BIOGRAPHY OF

H.E. DR. KAMAL KHARRAZI

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, the former Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, was confirmed by the Majlis ( Parliament ) on August 20, 1997 as Iran's new Foreign Minister. Dr. Kharrazi has held a number of governmental, diplomatic and academic posts. He has been Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations since 1989.
During his tenure as Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, Dr. Kharrazi headed many Iranian delegations at numerous international conferences and held various distinguished international positions including Vice-Presidency of several sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, and the United Nations Summit Conference
on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro.

    From July 1980 to September 1989 he was President of the Islamic Republic
News Agency.  In the meantime he served as a member of the Supreme Defense
Council of Iran and the Head of the War Information Headquarters from
September 1980 to September 1988.

    Prior to his service in those posts, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister for
Political Affairs from August 1979 to March 1980. From August 1979 to July
1981, Dr. Kharrazi was Managing Director of the Center for Intellectual
Development of Children and Young Adults. He was the Vice President of
Iranian National Television from March to August 1979.

    Dr. Kharrazi has also been a Professor of Management and Educational
Psychology at Tehran University since 1983. He was also a teaching fellow at
the University of Houston in the United States from 1975 to 1976 when he
returned to Iran.

    Dr. Kharrazi was a founding member of the Islamic Research Institute in
London and a member of the American Association of University Professors.
He was admitted to the New York Academy of Science in 1994.

    Dr. Kharrazi earned a doctorate in education from the University of Houston
in 1976. He holds a master's degree in education from Tehran University, where
he also received his undergraduate education. He has written and translated a
number of textbooks and articles on education, and management.

    Dr. Kharrazi has appeared on many international media programs, as well as
many university campuses in the United States and Europe, presenting Iranian
position on major issues of global importance. He has written extensively on
foreign policy issues, and his articles have appeared in several Iranian and
foreign newspapers and academic journals.

    Dr. Kharrazi was born in Tehran on 1 December 1944. He is married and has
two children.