Constantine Tassoulas Sworn In as Greece’s New President

ATHENS, March 13 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece’s president on Thursday, beginning his five-year term after winning the 12 February election, Xinhua news agency reported.

A member of the ruling New Democracy party, Tassoulas took the oath of office in parliament, succeeding Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Greece’s first female president and former head of the country’s highest administrative court.

"I will make every effort, as President of all Greeks, to uphold the Constitution, safeguard national integrity, and protect the interests of the Greek people," Tassoulas said during the handover ceremony at the presidential mansion.

On the same development, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Tassoulas, highlighting the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between China and Greece.

In his message, Xi noted that both nations share a long history and rich cultural heritage and have maintained a long-standing friendship as comprehensive strategic partners.

He cited key China-Greece collaborations, including the Piraeus Port project, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and the establishment of the Centre of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilisations and the Chinese School of Classical Studies in Athens.

Xi also emphasised that in an increasingly interconnected world, win-win cooperation is essential to addressing global challenges.

He expressed his commitment to working with Tassoulas to strengthen bilateral ties, deepen cultural exchanges, and advance China-EU relations, while contributing to global peace and stability.

Born in 1959, Tassoulas has a long political career, having served as Deputy Minister of National Defence in 2007, Minister of Culture and Sports in 2014, and Speaker of the Greek Parliament three times since 2019.

He resigned as Parliament Speaker in January after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated him for the presidency.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA