Portugal's new president Anibal Cavaco Silva swears over the constitution book at parliament during his swearing-in ceremony at parliament in Lisbon March 9, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP)

LISBON, March 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Former conservative prime minister Anibal Cavaco Silva was sworn in as Portugal's new president on Thursday.

    He took the oath in a parliamentary ceremony which was followedby a 21-gun salute from a Navy frigate moored in the nearby Tagus River.

    Cavaco Silva, 66, won the January presidential election with 50.5 percent of the vote, defeating five left-of-center rivals.

    He is the country's first right-of-center head of state for three decades.

    The former university professor of economics was credited with introducing reforms which generated a swift modernization of Portugal after its 1986 membership of the European Union.

    According to Portugal's constitution, the head of state holds no executive power. This lies with the government.

    "At a time of serious difficulties, Portugal faces challenges that require a presidential mandate that favors consensus towards the greater national goals," Cavaco Silva said during the inauguration ceremony.

    He also vowed to hold the government to its reform promises andvowed to help drive a regeneration of Portugal's waning economy.

    In his speech he pledged to forge tighter trans-Atlantic relations, which he said were fundamental for the country and the EU.

   

Portugal's new president Anibal Cavaco Silva(R), the outgoing president Jorge Sampaio(L) and parliament speaker Jaime Gama attend the official swearing-in ceremony at the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, Thursday, March 9, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP)

 "As responsible states we must do everything to make sure that what unites us isn't sacrificed at the altar of what may circumstantially divide us," said the new president.

    Cavaco Silva took the presidency after outgoing Socialist president Jorge Sampaio reached the constitutional limit of two consecutive five-year terms.

    Foreign dignitaries at the ceremony included EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, South African President Thabo Mbekiand former U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

    Chinese Information Industry Minister Wang Xudong also attendedthe ceremony as special envoy of President Hu Jintao. Enditem