Haiti's new president Rene Preval called for peace and dialogue in his first public speech after taking office.

Shortly after taking the presidential oath in Congress, Preval told citizens in front of the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince the importance of "reinforcing dialog in order to reinforce peace."

Speaking in Creole, the language spoken by most Haitians, he said: "Peace is the key which opens the door to employment, tourism, infrastructure, tourism, education, health, and national production."

He also called on Haitians to remember the example of Haiti's independence heroes and urged his countrymen to create the conditions that will allow peace to continue without the presence of foreign troops.

Preval, 63, was Haiti's president from 1996 to 2001.

Source: Xinhua