Liberal economist new Egypt PM: state media

Hazem al-Beblawi arrives to attend a meeting in Beirut on May 27, 1999. Egypt's interim president named liberal economist Hazem al-Beblawi, a former finance minister, as the country's new prime minister. (AFP/File)

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt's interim president on Tuesday named liberal economist Hazem al-Beblawi, a former finance minister, as the country's new prime minister, presidential spokesman Ahmed al-Muslimani said.

Liberal opposition chief and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was named vice president for foreign relations, Muslimani said.

The appointments come almost a week after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and chose chief justice Adly Mansour to head the Arab world's most populous country.

ElBaradei was initially tipped to lead the cabinet but his nomination was rejected by the Salafist al-Nur party.

Beblawi now faces the daunting task of trying to reunite a deeply divided country and rescue its battered economy.