Rabiei Named Gov’t Spokesman

President Hassan Rouhani appointed Ali Rabiei, the former minister of cooperatives, labor and social welfare, as presidential assistant for communications affairs and government spokesman.
In his decree on Thursday, Rouhani hailed Rabiei’s “experiences and capabilities in various social and political areas”, calling on him to utilize all the potentials of governmental institutions to develop “wide-ranging interactions” with the media, the president’s website reported.  
Rabiei previously served as the cooperatives minister before his impeachment in the Iranian Parliament over “mismanagement” last year. He will replace Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the current head of Plan and Budget Organization.