Four new Ministers took over their duties on Tuesday, following a government reshuffle, announced last Sunday.
 
At a ceremony at the Ministry of Finance, new Minister of Finance Costantinos Petrides took over the post of Finance Minister, replacing Harris Georgiades.
 
Assuming his duties Petrides praised the prudent economic policy followed by his predecessor during Cyprus’ economic recession. Referring to the hardships of that period, he stressed the successful course of economic recovery that Cyprus followed.
 
"I am very happy that the conditions in which I take over my duties as Minister of Finance are very different from those when you took office," he said addressing Harris Georgiades.
 
Outgoing Finance Minister Harris Georgiades described his presence in the Ministry of Finance as a lifelong mission.
 
"But I think we are now at a point that allows me to complete this mission," he noted. He also said that the effort must continue and would continue, and that there was still much to be done. At the same time, he said that he had no doubt that what would follow for the Ministry, the economy and the country would be even better.
 
Yiannis Karousos took over the Ministry of Transport from Vasiliki Anastasiadou, who said that she did what she had promised to do when taking over the Ministry, 21 months ago.
 
“The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works is a very demanding ministry with many challenges, has issues that directly affect citizens` daily lives and can make a significant contribution to improving the quality of their lives”, she noted.

As she said high on the Ministry`s priorities were transportations, the need to maintain a safe and functioning road network, sustainable mobility, safe infrastructure, improving road safety, increasing the country`s connectivity, preserving and promoting antiquities, the exploitation of the ports, the introduction of new technology and the transition to the digital age.
 
Thanking the President of the Republic for the honor to entrust him with such an important post, the new Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, promised that he will work hard to achieve all goals set by the President in his government programme.
 
As he said, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, is a ministry contributing largely to growth with a huge range of responsibilities that has a major impact on the Cypriot economy as well as the daily lives of the citizens.
 
At the same time, he said that the Ministry faces many challenges, and pointed out that he was optimistic that he would address them.
 
Nicos Nouris took over the Ministry of Interior from Costantinos Petrides, who said that promoting local government reform and migration were the top priorities of the Ministry.
 
Speaking during the ceremony in the Ministry of the Interior, Petrides expressed his satisfaction that Nicos Nouris assumed the Ministry, saying that he was the most appropriate. "We have worked together, you are aware of the issues, you know what the Ministry of the Interior means, you know the range and complexity of the Ministry of the Interior and collectively as Government and I personally will be by your side," he said.

Petrides said the Interior Ministry had the greatest share of responsibility for restoring and rebuilding the economy after the crisis, in many different areas.
 
Nouris assured that he would continue to work in the same direction to address the challenges of the Ministry and improve the services provided to citizens.
 
"The Interior Ministry is probably the largest Ministry in terms of the number of services it offers to citizens, but there is a clear prioritization that we will see with our partners," he said.

However, he stressed that the top priorities now were to promote the local government reform as it was put forward on Monday, as well as to address the issue of immigration, which as he said, was a ticking time bomb for social cohesion of the state. Referring to other challenges, he spoke about the modernization of licensing procedures as well as the implementation of the new housing and refugee policy.

Newly - appointed Minister of Education Prodromos Prodromou referred to a very ambitious and promising educational reform which was underway, adding that “we will continue with its implementation".

Prodromou took over the portfolio of the Ministry from outgoing Minister Costas Hambiaouris, during a ceremony at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prodromou said that ambitious changes always come with resistance and problems that must be resolved.
 
He also said that teachers were not just partners of the Ministry, but they were actors for a better future and improvement of the public school. He added that “we need and want to work with them and see them lead the groundbreaking changes ".
 
Prodromou also said that all students are "our children” and that “we should take care of them and listen to them carefully and patiently”.
 
Outgoing Minister Costas Champiaouris thanked the General Director of the Ministry for the good cooperation, as well as the Heads of Departments, the officers, the staff of the Ministry and all the partners.
 
He wished Prodromou every success and said he was sure that everyone in the Ministry would support his efforts to implement President Anastasiade’s governance programme.