Iran's Hassan Rouhani takes oath, Hamid Ansari on ceremony

Hassan Rouhani, a moderate cleric who was a surprise winner in the recent elections, took oath today as Iran's seventh President at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of world leaders, including Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India, with which he has pledged to expand ties.

The 64-year-old former nuclear negotiator, who has committed himself to greater international engagement for Iran which is battling sanctions over its nuclear programme, was administered the oath in Milli Majlis, the Iranian Parliament.

Soon after his victory in the June Presidential polls, Rouhani pledged to expand relations with India calling it his foreign policy priority. He visited India in 2002.

Reflecting warm bilateral ties, Ansari flew into the Iranian capital by a special plane to represent India at the ceremony.

Apart from Ansari, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai along with Iraq's Vice President Khazir al-Khazai and Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi also attended the the oath taking ceremony of the newly-elected Iranian President.

In his first appointment after assuming office Rouhani named Mohammad Nahavandian, a 58-year-old businessman with a doctorate in economics from George Washington University in Washington, as his chief of staff, state-run IRNA news agency reported.