Tehran, July 30 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday took the oath of office before the Parliament, with dignitaries from nearly 90 countries present, to formally start his four-year term, and offered his country’s participation in solving regional and global issues.

After Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf delivered a speech at the start of the ceremony, Pezeshkian, 69, took an oath on the holy Quran.

As part of the oath, the President swore to use all his talents and qualities to perform the duties he has assumed as the President of the Islamic Republic.

In his address after his swearing-in, Pezeshkian urged the world “to seize the unique opportunity to solve regional and global problems with the participation of a powerful, peace-seeking, and dignified Iran”, Mehr News reported.

We will seek constructive and effective engagement with the world based on the principles of dignity, wisdom and expediency,” he said.

He stressed his administration’s readiness to continue negotiations with major global powers in order to remove the anti-Iran sanctions, reminding the West and Washington that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful as it has been verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He stressed that Iran remained committed to its commitments under the nuclear deal.

“Pressure and sanctions do not work (in dealing with Iran),” Pezeshkian said in a remark aimed at the Western powers and called on them to “show respect to the noble Iranian nation”.

Citing the tragedy in Gaza, he slammed the United States and some Western states for delivering arms to Israel,

The Iranian President went on to call for a detente in the region, saying that “the countries in the region must not spend their valuable resources on conflict and war of attrition”.

“My administration wants a strong region,” he said, while adding that Iran wants to become the first power in economic, scientific, and technological fields at the regional level.

The inauguration ceremony, which began at 4 p.m. (local time) was attended by delegations from 88 countries and senior Iranian government officials.

Among those present at the ceremony were Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, and Prime Ministers Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgia, Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Hussein Arnous of Syria, and Manuel Marrero Cruz of Cuba.

Russia’s Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdel Ati, Saudi Arabian Minister of Interior Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and European Union’s deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora were also present.

India was represented by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar led his country’s delegation.

Among other foreign leaders that are participating are Qatar’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi, Kazakhstan Senate Chairman Ashimbayev Maulen Sagathanuly, Malaysia’s House of Representatives Speaker Tan Sri Dato Johari bin Abdul, and Senegal National Assembly’s President Amadou Mame Diop,

Hamas’ Head of the Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah, and Yemen’s Ansarullah spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam also participated in the ceremony.

The event comes two days after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei endorsed the results of the recent presidential election, allowing Pezeshkian to begin his job as the ninth President of Iran.

–IANS

vd

Kyiv, July 30 (IANS) The situation in Ukraine’s energy sector has stabilized after massive power outages, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Tuesday.

“The situation in the energy sector has stabilized due to the early completion of repairs at two nuclear power units and a drop in air temperature,” Shmyhal was cited as saying by the government press service.

The Ukrainian government has launched programs to support the development of distributed power generation and canceled import duties and value-added tax for energy equipment, such as power generators, inverters, batteries, and charging stations, Shmyhal said.

However, Ukraine’s power sector is still experiencing a drop in capacity, and the efforts to prepare the energy system for winter continue, Shmyhal added.

In recent months, Ukraine’s energy system has lost about 9 GW of its capacity due to Russian attacks, according to state-run energy company Ukrenergo, Xinhua news agency reported.

In March, the Ukrainian government introduced nationwide power supply restrictions, which applied to industrial and household consumers.

–IANS

as/

Moscow, July 30 (IANS) A growing national debt will most likely have no effect on the militaristic ambitions of the United States, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

The US federal government’s total public debt has surpassed 35 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time, as recorded at the end of last week, according to data released by the US Treasury Department on Monday. This has once again sparked concerns about the nation’s escalating debt problem and its potential impact on the world economy.

“Of course, the US, as one of the largest global economies, has a direct impact on the international economic situation,” Peskov said.

“However, it is unlikely that this whole situation will somehow hinder their militaristic ambitions,” he noted.

Meanwhile, he refuted the claims that Russia is trying to influence the upcoming US presidential election, calling it “absurd.”

“Every time the US exploits both Russia and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in its internal political struggle, it causes new irreversible damage to Russia-U.S. relations,” he said.

–IANS

as/

Algiers, July 30 (IANS) The Algerian government decided to withdraw its ambassador from France “immediately” in response to the French government’s recognition of “Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara,” announced the Algerian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry criticised in a statement the French government’s support for the “colonial reality” imposed on Western Sahara, a move the ministry claimed no previous French administration had taken.

It described the decision of the French government as being made “with great disdain and indifference” and without a proper assessment of its consequences.

The ministry noted that by endorsing the Moroccan autonomy plan as the sole solution under “alleged” Moroccan sovereignty, the French government is accused of “violating international legitimacy and denying the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.”

It added that the stance contradicts the UN’s ongoing efforts to complete the “decolonization of Western Sahara and evades France’s responsibilities as a permanent UN Security Council member.”

The statement announced that Algeria would be represented in France by a charge d’affaires, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, which was made public on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron recognized the plan Morocco made in 2007 to “offer Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty.”

Algeria and Morocco have been locked in a bitter rivalry for decades over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

–IANS

as/

Jakarta, July 30 (IANS) Indonesian President Joko Widodo has signed a new health regulation prohibiting the sale of individual cigarettes, as announced on the official government website on Tuesday.

“The sale of tobacco products on a per-stick basis is prohibited, except for cigars and electronic cigarettes,” the regulation states.

The regulation also bans the sale of cigarettes through vending machines at locations such as around schools and children’s play zones. Additionally, it prohibits sales to individuals under 21 years old and pregnant women.

Sales through websites or e-commerce platforms are allowed, provided age verification is conducted, Xinhua news agency reported.

Moreover, producers and importers of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes must include health risk information on the packaging.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized that this regulation represents a significant step forward in strengthening Indonesia’s health infrastructure.

“We welcome the issuance of this regulation, which will serve as a foundation for us to jointly reform and build the health system down to the farthest corners of the country,” said Budi.

–IANS

as/