Jose Ramos-Horta Sunday sworn in as Timor-Leste's second
president since the country got independence five years ago in
Dili, vowing to bring peace and prosperity to the people of the
desperately poor nation.
Ramos-Horta, who won the May 9 presidential election for the
future five-year term, took the oath of office before Francisco
"Lu-Olo" Guterres, the head of parliament.
"I will consolidate freedom and national unity with all the
energy I have," Ramos-Horta said at the ceremony.
"I would not do justice without expressing, on behalf of our
state, our sincere gratitude for the contribution the international
community as a whole has given towards making our process of
nation-building successful one," he added.
"The United Nations in particular has systematically been
involved in safeguarding the necessary conditions for people of
Timor-Leste to ensure our state grows and develops to its maximum
potential," he stressed.
He said, a small and vulnerable country need a dynamic, creative
and pragmatic foreign policy, inspired by its national interests,
namely those related to its internal and external security, peace
and stability, and the economic well-being of the people.
In this context, he said, Timor-Leste's relations with its
closest neighbors, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand and the
ASEAN countries, with Portugal, the European Union and the entire
international community, will always be nurtured with extreme care
and commitment.
"We must also work together to enhance our relations with the
United State, the People's Republic of China, the European Union,
Japan, the Republic of Korean and India," he said.
Horta, 57, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner, became the
country's prime minister last year. His predecessor Xanana Gusmao
is preparing for participating in the June parliamentary election,
in which a new prime minister will be elected.
(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2007)
