Greece's new conservative government headed by Costas Karamanlis was sworn in Wednesday morning by President Kostis Stephanopoulos.  

The swearing-in ceremony at the Athens-based Presidential Palace was attended by 43 members of the 46-member cabinet. The remaining three ministers still await presidential decrees.

Upon the inauguration, the 47 year-old Karamanlis immediately signed his first decree renaming the ministries of labor and agriculture and changing the priority order of the ministries.

The ministry of internal affairs, public administration and decentralization now ranks top in the ministerial priority order followed by the ministries of national economy and finance and foreign affairs.

The new cabinet held its first plenary session in the Parliament after Karamanlis officially took over the premiership from former Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

The New Democracy Party, under the leadership of Karamanlis, returned to power after 11 years in opposition after its victory in the Greek general election Sunday, winning 165 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2004)