New cabinet ministers of Cyprus were sworn in Friday before President Demetris Christofias, who took office a day earlier with pledges for a just solution to the Cyprus problem and the building of a fairer society.
All the 11 ministers from a three-party coalition were sworn in, except the new foreign minister, Markos Kyprianou, who submitted his resignation Thursday from the post of European Commissioner for Health but will step down after his successor is appointed.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is reportedly consulting with Christofias over the nomination of Kyprianou's successor.
The other new ministers are Minister of Finance Charilaos Stavrakis, Minister of the Interior Neoclis Sylikiotis, Minister of Defense Costas Papacostas, Minister of Education and Culture Andreas Demetriou, Minister of Communications and Works Nicos Nicolaides, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Michalis Polyniki Charalambides, Minister of Labor and Social Insurance Soteroulla Charalambous, Minister of Justice and Public Order Kypros Chrysostomides, and Minister of Health Christos Patsalides.
The new ministers are to take over their respective ministries late Friday.
"If we manage to implement these two fundamental aims (a just solution to the Cyprus problem and the building of a fairer society), then we will truly inaugurate a new era for our homeland and our people," Christofias told his ministers at the first cabinet meeting.
Christofias took the helm from Tassos Papadopoulos as Cyprus' new president Thursday, after winning a crucial runoff election on Feb. 24.
Source: Xinhua
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