PM Shehbaz to attend oath-taking ceremony of Iran's new president on July 30

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony of President-elect of Iran Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on July 30 in Tehran.

The swearing-in ceremony of Pezeshkian will be held on July 30, Iran's state news agency IRNA said, quoting Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of the legislature's presiding board as saying.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon and a reformist, won a runoff presidential election earlier this month.

Iran held presidential elections earlier than the scheduled time after the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May this year.

"The prime minister will attend the ceremony at the invitation of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced at her weekly press briefing on Thursday.

“The visit attests to the commitment by the two countries to strengthen leadership level engagement and bilateral cooperation."

An Iranian official told IRNA that officials from 60 different countries have thus far announced their readiness to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Pezeshkian.

The official said that four presidents, 12 parliament speakers, seven prime ministers, three vice presidents and two deputy prime ministers are among the attendees.

Earlier on July 8, PM Shehbaz had telephoned President-elect Dr Pezeshkian to congratulate him on his election.

In their telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in trade, commerce and investment. They also discussed ways to foster a stronger partnership for regional stability.

“I look forward to working closely with President-elect Dr Pezeshkian to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran bilateral ties and promote regional peace and stability,” he had said in a post on his X handle.

The prime minister said that as neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Iran enjoy a close and historic relationship. “We must ensure a bright future for our two peoples through mutually beneficial cooperation,” he said.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari also extended heartfelt congratulations to Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as the President of Iran. In his congratulation message to Pezeshkian, Zardari said that Pakistan and Iran enjoy fraternal ties and hope that “under your leadership our relations will grow further stronger”.

Zardari said he was looking forward to working together for the peace and prosperity of the region.