MEXICO CITY, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- El Salvador's President Antonio Saca on Wednesday appointed Marisol Argueta de Barrillas as this Central American country's new foreign minister to replace Francisco Lainez.

    Saca told journalists at the Presidential House that Argueta has the ability to strengthen El Salvador's relations with the rest of the world, protect the rights of Salvadorans working overseas and promote trade agreements with other countries.

    Argueta, 39, is one of the youngest officials in Saca's cabinet and has mainly worked in the diplomatic circles.

    Argueta has served as a member of the presidential commission created to revise the Central American Integration System and has been responsible for foreign policy at the Foreign Ministry.

    Lainez resigned on Tuesday to participate in the election of the ruling party's Nationalist Republican Alliance. The process will begin on Monday, according to reports from San Salvador, El Salvador's capital.

    Lainez is the first of eight government members showing interest in participating in general elections in 2009.