TEGUCIGALPA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Honduran interim government under post-coup leader Roberto Micheletti on Monday swore in Carlos Lopez Contreras as its new foreign minister, to replace Enrique Ortez Colindres.

    Lopez Contreras was foreign minister in the government of President Jose Simon Azcona from 1986 to 1990. He is an expert on international law and had represented Honduras in The Hague of Holland for many years.

    Recently, Lopez coordinated the negotiation mission in Costa Rica aimed at seeking a solution to the political crisis in Honduras after the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

    Lopez is also an outstanding activist from the right-wing National Party.

    At the same ceremony on Monday, Micheletti also swore in Ortez Colindres as the interim government's interior minister.

    The interim government decided last Friday to remove Ortez Colindres from the foreign minister's office, and reappointed him as Interior Minister.

    Micheletti had said that Colindres' removal was not related to the racist comments he had made against U.S. President Barack Obama.

    Colindres had referred to Obama as a "black man who does not know where Tegucigalpa is."