Newly-elected Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias promised Thursday to do everything in his power to quickly restart long-stalled talks with Turkish Cypriots to reunify the island, according to dpa. "I will do everything possible to solve the problem of the island and to ensure that the rights of the Turkish Cypriots are respected, however, that does not mean that it will at risk to the rights of other Cypriots on the island," Christofias said after he was sworn in as president Thursday. "A possible solution which risks the rights of all will be dead in advanced," he added. Christofias named his new government upon taking office and announced current EU Commissioner Marko Kyprianou as his foreign minister. Kyprianou will be required to resign as commissioner a year before his term formally expires. According to the Cypriot news agency CNA, it was uncertain for the moment who would succeed Kyprianou, 48, in Brussels, where he is the EU Health Commissioner. Kyprianou is the son of former Cypriot president Spyros Kyprianou, and before assuming his current EU post in 2004 he had served as finance minister in Cyprus. Reports said that Kyprianou, with his international experience, is set to spearhead the efforts together with Christofias to try to overcome the divisions with Turkish Cypriots in forthcoming talks. Christofias, 62, head of the Cypriot communist party, won the February 24 elections over opponent Ioannis Kasoulides. The win made the Soviet-educated Christofias the only communist leader in the 27- member European Union and the first to head Cyprus. Within hours after winning the election, Christofias agreed to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for talks on possibly ending the division of the Mediterranean island. The new Cypriot cabinet: Foreign Minister: Markos Kyprianou Finance Minister: Charilaos Stavrakis Justice Minister: Kypros Chryssostomidis Education and Culture Minister: Andreas Dimitriou Transport Minister: Nikos Nikolaidis Interior Minister: Neoklis Sylikiotis Defence Minister: Kostas Papakostas Trade Minister: Antonis Paschalidis Health Minister: Christos Patsalidis Farm Minister: Michalis Polynikis Labour Minister: Sotiroulas Charalampous
