The ceremony of assuring the new members of the Government of the President of the Republic Mr.
In the morning, the new Ministers and Deputy Ministers gave the newly appointed assurance before the President of the Republic, while three Commissioners received their appointment.
The new Ministers are:
Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos
Minister of Finance Makis Kerynos
Minister of Interior Constantinos Ioannou
Minister of Defence Michael Yiorgallas
Minister of Education, Athena Michaelidou
Minister of Education, Sports and Youth
Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Alexis Vafiadis
Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry George Papanastasiou
Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry
Minister of Agriculture,
Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Petros Xenophontos
Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yannis Panagiotou
Minister of Justice and Public Order Anna Prokopiou
Minister of Health Popi Kanari
and Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letibiotis
The new Deputy Ministers are:
Deputy Minister to the President - In charge of coordinating and supervising the implementation of the Government Project Irene Piki
Deputy Minister to the President for Maritime Affairs Marina Hadjimanoli
Deputy Minister to the President for Tourism Kostas Koumis
Deputy Minister for Research, Minister of State for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy to the President Filippos Hadjizaharia
Minister of State for Social Welfare to the President Marilena Evangelou
Minister of State for Culture to the President Michalis Hatzigiannis
The new Commissioners are:
Gender Equality Commissioner Josie Christodoulou
Environment Commissioner Maria Panagiotou
The appointment was also received by:
Director of the Office of the President of the Republic Haralambos Charalambous
Deputy Government Spokesperson Doxa Komodromou
Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic Victor Papadopoulos
Speaking at the ceremony, the President of the Republic said that "before anything else, I would like to express my shock at the tragic train accident in Greece. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. In a moment I will also speak with the Greek Prime Minister to convey the condolences of the Government and, of course, of the Cypriot people.
Having made the newly announced assurance before the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus yesterday, and after the formal ceremony as provided by the Constitution of the outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades taking over the presidency, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you today at the Presidential Palace for the official start of the new government in which the Cypriot people have placed their hopes with confidence.
I declared yesterday and I want to reiterate today my readiness to take over the governance of the country, expressing my full awareness of the need for my absolute dedication to the state, its institutions, citizens and the wider public interest, based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and the laws in force. I declared that I fully understand the heavy historical responsibility which I assume with pride, awe and determination.
Having the supreme honor of being the head of the executive branch, I want to reiterate before you that I will do my utmost to be an example of diligence, ethics and loyalty, expecting each of you who voluntarily and consciously undertake today to follow the same path.
Our guide and compass is always the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the laws in force and the international treaties that bind us, which you must constantly study.
I expect that you will all always act within the framework of legality, with absolute respect for the Constitution and the laws, serving the interests of Cyprus and the citizen. Your personal interest should be put aside as you carry out your duties. Our respect for the sovereign Cypriot people, for those who elected us, who placed their hopes in us, who justifiably have high expectations of our governance, will only be demonstrated through our commitment to our work, so that in a short period of time we can produce work that will improve the life of the citizen in all key areas.
Before the House of Representatives yesterday, but also before the entire Cypriot people, I also expressed my sincere political will to work hard to give hope and perspective to the entire Cypriot people. Not only because it is worth it, but also because this will strengthen our statehood, this will indirectly but decisively strengthen Cyprus in all major claims.
That is why the focus of our priorities has been on people and their well-being, and today, on your official first day, I ask you to embrace the political priorities and specific proposals as included in our Programme, to make them your own, to immediately start the implementation strategy and to get down to work that will bring about results.
With good administration, fairness and determination, make use of the competent human resources available in the Cypriot civil service and I have no doubt that we will achieve all the objectives we have set.
The Governance Programme that we have formulated together with the society includes specific proposals concerning everyday life, which you are now called upon to implement under my guidance and support: For the short-term relief of our fellow citizens with targeted economic measures, for the resolution of important pending labour issues in order to preserve industrial peace, for the resolution of problems in education, for corrective steps in the health sector, always within the framework of the YESY, to revitalise the primary sector in our country, to speed up the digital transformation and technological upgrading of the public service, to promote culture, arts and letters, to make public administration more citizen-friendly.
By appointing you today to your high office, I show you the same confidence that the Cypriot people have shown in me with their vote. I underline before you again that all our policies are people-centred and in the wider public interest and that throughout your time in office you must be productive, active, committed, the first of the first in diligence and ethics, always faithful to the Constitution and the laws.
I expect and demand from you what I demand from myself.
I expect and demand from you what I demand from myself. We are here to produce work for Cyprus so that when we deliver at the end of our term of office, we leave the Cypriot people with tangible positive results.
I urge you never to forget that the power you have is temporary and emanates from the people for the sole purpose of benefiting the many and not the few.
In methodically implementing our program, always remember that the success of one is the success of all and the failure of any one will have consequences for the entire government, the President and the people.
Remember that we are here to move our country forward and not to cover up firefighting loopholes and omissions. That is why any corrective action must be preceded by a strategy to implement our program methodically and consistently.
You have been selected to serve our country, each and every one of you from your assigned portfolio, based on your knowledge, experience, skills and my strong belief that you can successfully meet your responsibilities.
I invite you to make a decisive contribution so that we can put into practice all that we have promised to the Cypriot people, to whom we will be accountable every day and who will evaluate us all in the end. There is no grace period for any of us. I want you to know this very well, and I am sure that we will be judged harshly every day. This is already happening, even before we take office, and it should not, under any circumstances, be approached negatively. Personally, and I urge you to do the same, harsh criticism from day one is an indication of the high expectations of society at large for our governance. It is up to us to prove that, yes, we can successfully deliver. So, seek criticism, both that which is well-intentioned and that which is for other reasons, and know full well that we will be judged by the outcome of our work and nothing else. Our obligations are to all the Cypriot people, and no one else. Our aim is to honour the social contract we have signed with society.
At the same time, it is very important to keep your doors open to the citizens, to listen to their needs and wishes. Continue the public consultation launched during the election campaign.
There are no easy solutions and no magic wands. However, with focus, hard work, consistency, methodicalness and perseverance we can take our country forward. It requires constant effort, study, organisation and methodology.
I urge you to be practical and effective, always within the framework of the law. I urge you to be honest and fair. Be servants of merit. I repeat, remember that we will all be judged by the result. When we are gone, our only success will be whatever work we manage to leave behind us that is beneficial to the citizen, to the many and not to the few.
It is extremely important that you all and each of you individually earn the trust of the citizens. This will only happen if your work brings tangible benefits and if you govern politically with transparency, control and accountability.
Raise the bar of morality high, while keeping the tone low. We are not here to serve any personal ambition or interest. These must be put aside as of today.
The phenomena of mismanagement, corruption and unworthiness will not be tolerated. I want this to be clear to everyone. None of us is above the law. All of us, and I put myself above all others, must be, as I said at the beginning, I repeat, the living example, the positive role model for colleagues and citizens, for society.
I ask you to do your daily evaluation and self-criticism, to reward the most capable, to be fair to all staff and open to society, and to be ready if you realize that for any reason you cannot meet your very demanding duties or have fallen into a significant and harmful error for our country, to submit your resignation to me before I even have to ask you to do so. For it must be well established in the minds of everyone who takes part in public affairs and especially in the decision-making process that affects the public interest that their own failure to perform amounts to a heavy cost to the citizen and the country, and therefore they should know the limits and the time of their exit.
In this effort to implement our programme for Cyprus, as we have envisioned it, we rely on the cooperation with the institutions, with the independent officials, with the social partners, the professionals, the NGOs and with the entire civil society. I want to emphasize in particular the need for good cooperation with the House of Representatives and with the political parties.
As I mentioned yesterday at the assurance ceremony, the House of Representatives must be our greatest ally in this effort, so both you and I must constantly maintain bridges of communication and productive cooperation.
Let me also make special reference to the civil service, which is the backbone of the executive, our backbone in this effort, the mechanism through which we will implement our Governance Programme. I urge you to be firm but at the same time correct and meritocratic with all civil servants at all levels. There are worthy human resources, you must ensure that you inspire and utilize them by being their mentors, their worthy political bosses. Always bear in mind the codes of conduct, the equal treatment of men and women, the special treatment of people with disabilities, and the right of every person to respect for their personality.
Many times during the election campaign, I reiterated that in my vision for Cyprus all Cypriots are equal, all Cypriots have the same rights, the same obligations.
Many times during the election campaign, I reiterated that in my vision for Cyprus all Cypriots are equal, all Cypriots have the same rights, the same obligations. This promise must become a way of life. We will be a government of all Cypriots, without any discrimination whatsoever. Break established attitudes and perceptions that the state is here to serve only some. Favouritism will not be tolerated no matter who it affects.
We may not, as I said, have magic wands for immediate solutions, but we have the sincere political will, the programme and the planning. I am confident that all of you have the work ethic, ethics, and know the modern methods for implementing policies. Work as a team, without grandstanding, with actions and not words.
Always remember that we have a responsibility at all times to strengthen our state. For its security. We have a responsibility for a prosperous, for all its citizens, Cyprus. We have a responsibility to create for our young people the future they deserve. If we are to be able to repay in the least the trust that the Cypriot citizen has shown in us, we must "love responsibility" even if we are alone in pursuing our goals.
Yesterday, before the House of Representatives, I gave an assurance that I will proceed with only the public interest, Cyprus, our wonderful homeland, in mind and that I will be President of all Cypriots. I invite you to do exactly the same so that together we can be the strong team that will take Cyprus into the new era. Thank you very much."
On behalf of the new members of the Government, the Foreign Minister said. President of the Republic of Cyprus, first of all, we would like to express our sympathy to the Greek people and our condolences for the tragic event of yesterday.
On behalf of the members of the Council of Ministers, I express our grateful thanks for the extraordinary honour you have conferred on us.
We assure you that we are fully aware of the task you have entrusted to us today. We must work tirelessly, each of us in our areas of responsibility, with an open mind, steadfast commitment and collegiality in the public interest.
We have to answer not only to you but also to the country and its citizens. The expectations of society are enormous and the President's programme of governance will be a landmark.
We also give the constitutionally mandated assurance for the reunification of our country, which cannot wait any longer. We are aware of the weight of our mission, accompanied by real and deep concern as to whether we will be able to cope. If we did not have this concern, I sincerely believe that we would not be here today. Too many words are not appropriate to the moment. It is a time for action. After the ceremony, the President of the Republic, accompanied by the members of the Government, laid a wreath at the statue of the National Archbishop Makarios III in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace and then the President and the members of the new Government took a commemorative photo at the entrance of the Palace."
After the ceremony, the President of the Republic, accompanied by the members of the Government, laid a wreath at the statue of the National Archbishop Makarios III in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace and then the President and the members of the new Government took a commemorative photo at the entrance of the Palace. Afterwards, a short meeting of the new Cabinet was held.
(RM/MB/SX)
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