Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as Ukraine's new president Sunday, bringing an end to months of political turmoil and uncertainty triggered by a presidential election crisis.

The 50-year-old former banker took oath of office shortly afternoon Sunday inside the parliament and showed his intentions later to push for Ukraine's closer integration with the European Union.

"Our way to the future is the way of a united Europe. We, along with the people of Europe, belong to one civilization. We share similar values," Yushchenko told a crowd of supports after the inauguration in a downtown square.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission formally declared Yushchenko the winner of the presidential run-off on Jan. 10 with 51.99 percent of the vote, beating then Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych by 8 percentage points.

But Yanukovych raised a series of legal challenges to the re-vote, the last of which was rejected by the high court on Thursday, paving the way for the inauguration.

Yushchenko, who will become the third president of independent Ukraine, has pledged to steer Ukraine on a new course, fighting corruption and forging closer ties with the European Union while maintaining traditional good relations with Russia.

Immediately after his inauguration, Yushchenko is expected to make a working visit to Russia. Later in the week, the new president will visit Western and Central Europe, according to Yushchenko's spokeswoman.

(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2005)