Hollande: New Iran President Welcome at Syria Peace Talks

French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that Iranian president-elect Hassan Rowhani would be welcome at Syria peace talks "if he can be useful".

"Let's wait for the new president's statements," Hollande said at the end of a G8 summit, adding: "My position is that if he can be useful, yes, he would be welcome" at a peace conference mooted for later this year in Geneva.

Western nations including France have previously been firmly opposed to Iran taking part in a proposed Syria peace conference, which G8 leaders said Tuesday should take place "as soon as possible".

Rowhani, a moderate cleric, was on Saturday declared winner of Iran's presidential election, ending an eight-year conservative grip on the Islamic republic's administration under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On Monday he warned against foreign intervention in Syria, where Iran has been backing the regime of President Bashar Assad.