Tehran, Jul 26: In order to end its international isolation, Iran has invited world leaders, except the US and Israel, to attend the inauguration of its new president Hassan Rouhani on August 4.
Britain has decided not to send its representative to the inauguration ceremony. The British Foreign Office said, the agreed European Union position was that the ceremony on 4 August would only be attended by Tehran-based diplomats.
The UK has no diplomatic representation in Tehran since the British embassy was ransacked by a mob in November 2011.
Iran says, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan have already accepted the invitation. The president of Lebanon Michel Suleiman, and the Syrian prime minister, Wael Nader al-Halqi will also attend.
Russian media reported that President Vladimir Putin may meet Rouhani later in August.
Rouhani is consideered a reformist in Iran and the inauguration is being considered an opportunity to loosen the isolation the West has imposed on Iran.
The US and the EU have placed severe trade and financial restrictions on Tehran to try to persuade it to curb its nuclear programme.
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