ElBaradei Sworn in as VP, Nabil Fahmy Named FM

Prominent liberal Egyptian leader Mohamed ElBaradei was sworn in on Sunday as Egypt's interim vice president for foreign relations, the presidency said in a statement, as Nabil Fahmy was appointed as foreign minister.

The appointment of ElBaradei, a former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog and a Nobel peace laureate, follows the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on July 3.

He was initially tipped to lead the cabinet, but his nomination was rejected by the ultra-conservative Salafist party al-Nour.

ElBaradei was late last year named head of the National Salvation Front, a coalition of leftist and liberal groups, formed in the wake of a power grab by Morsi in November.

Meanwhile, Nabil Fahmy, a former ambassador to the United States, on Sunday accepted the post of foreign minister the Egypt's new cabinet.

Fahmy accepted the offer from caretaker premier Hazem al-Beblawi, who is holding a second day of talks with ministerial candidates for the interim cabinet, foreign ministry sources told Agence France Presse.

The official MENA news agency confirmed the appointment.

Fahmy is a career diplomat and founding dean of the school of public affairs at the American University in Cairo, who served as ambassador in Washington between 1999 and 2008.

Beblawi has said that the top priorities of his new cabinet will be to restore security, ensure the flow of goods and services and prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections.

It is expected to have around 30 ministries and could be unveiled by Tuesday or Wednesday.