ATHENS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Greece's new Cabinet members are to be sworn in Thursday following Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' expected government reshuffle Wednesday, the Athens News Agency reported.

    The cabinet reshuffle involved the all-important economy and finance portfolio, the transport ministry and the sensitive education ministry.

    Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis will be replaced by his deputy, Yiannis Papathanassiou.

    Transport and Communications Minister Costis Hatzidakis will move to the development ministry, holding the commerce, internal market and significant energy portfolios.

    Education Minister Evrypides Stylianidis, whose post will be filled by Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos, will take up Hatzidakis' former position.

    The Cabinet members retaining their posts are Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Foreign Affairs head Dora Bakoyannis, National Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis, and the health, merchant marine and employment ministers.

    Apart from Alogoskoufs, those relieved of their duties include Development minister Christos Folias, Culture Minister Michalis Liapis, Macedonia-Thrace and agricultural development ministers Margaritis Tzimas and Alexandros Kontos respectively, and Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Doukas.

    Two deputy ministers were promoted to minister and four new deputy minister posts were created.