Ahmadinejad appoints new first vice president

TEHRAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has appointed Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie as Iran's new first vice president, the official IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

Ahmadinejad announced late Thursday in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad that Mashaie will serve as the new first vice president in the 10th government, replacing incumbent First Vice President Parviz Davoudi, who was appointed adviser to the president, IRNA said.

Ahmadinejad also appointed former envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Akbar Salehi as vice president and the new chief of the Atomic Energy Organization to replace Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.

Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the incumbent atomic chief and vice president, confirmed on Thursday he had forwarded his resignation from his responsibilities to President Ahmadinejad and his resignation has been accepted.

The appointment of the two key positions was seen as one of the important changes that Ahmadinejad has vowed to bring to the new cabinet.

Ahmadinejad will be sworn in to office between August 2 and 6 after a landslide victory in Iran's 10th presidential election, and will introduce a new cabinet to the parliament.