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Middle East and North Africa

11 national leaders to attend Iranian President inauguration

Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei will officially endorse Hassan Rowhani’s presidential duties August 3

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

TEHERAN, August 1 (Itar-Tass) - Heads of state of eleven countries are going to take part in the inauguration of Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani, Iranian media said Thursday.

News agencies quoted Mohammad Isarrabi, an official spokesman for Majlis, as saying the Iranian authorities have confirmed the presence of eleven presidents, seven parliament speakers, two prime ministers, four vice presidents, and nine foreign ministers at the official functions related to inauguration.

“Participation in the ceremony has been confirmed by the leaders of Sudan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Armenia, North Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Guinea Bissau, and Togo, as well as the prime ministers of Syria and Swaziland,” Isarrabi said, adding that the vice presidents of Nicaragua, Tanzania, Cuba, and Ghana are also expected to come.

He said the Russian delegation at the inauguration ceremony will be led by State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin.

The scope of foreign guests awaited in Teheran includes the speakers of parliaments from Venezuela, Algeria, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The government has endorsed the presence of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South African Republic, India, Brazil, Turkey, Mauritania, Sri Lanka, Guinea Bissau, Burundi, and Palestine,” he said.

According to Isarrabi, “EU’s former High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana has also been invited” to Teheran.

Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei will officially endorse Hassan Rowhani’s presidential duties August 3.

In line with the national Constitution, the four-years-long term of office will begin as of the moment of endorsement.

The second part of the inauguration ceremony - the swearing-in - will be held at the Majlis, the national parliament August 4.

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