Azeri speaker to participate in Iran's presidential inauguration ceremony

Azerbaijan’s Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov is due to visit Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani on August 4. Azeri Ambassador to Tehran Javanshir Akhundov made the announcement in a Wednesday meeting with Iranian Lawmaker Mirqesmat Mousavi Asl. He also welcomed the promotion of relations between his country and Iran, particularly cooperation in the trade and economic fields. Tehran has invited leaders and senior officials of all the world states to the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Araqchi announced on Sunday. "All the heads and high-ranking officials of the world states have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian president-elect," Araqchi said. He further added that invitation letters have first been sent to the regional countries, as relations with the neighboring and regional nations stand atop the list of Iran's foreign policy priorities. Rouhani’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held on August 4, one day after his endorsement by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. Rouhani emerged victorious in Iran's June 14 presidential election, which was marked by a high voter turnout. He won 50.7 percent of a total of 36, 704, 156 ballots counted. The Interior Ministry put voter turnout at 72.7 percent. The Iranian president-elect currently represents Ayatollah Khamenei in the Supreme National Security Council and is also a member of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts. He is the president of the Expediency Council's Center for Strategic Research as well.