President Levits takes oath of office

RIGA - The new President of Latvia Egils Levits took the oath of office at an extraordinary meeting of Saeima on Monday.

"I swear that all of my work will be dedicated to the welfare of the people of Latvia. I will do everything in my power to promote the prosperity of the Republic of Latvia and all who live here. I will hold sacred and will observe the Constitution of Latvia and the laws of the State. I will act justly towards all and will fulfill my duties conscientiously," said Levits.

The new president previously said in an interview with LETA that he would not disappoint the people of Latvia because he would focus on his duties and what needs to be done, not on his popularity rating. Levits is determined to be active and diligent in assessing laws passed by Saeima, as well as to come forward with his own legislative initiatives.

After Levits' oath of office today, his predecessor Raimonds Vejonis' term of office concluded.

As reported, Saeima elected Levits as Latvia’s president by 61 votes on May 29.

Levits has graduated from the University of Hamburg. In the 1990s he served as the Latvian ambassador to Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, as well as vice prime minister and justice minister. He has also headed the Constitutional Rights Commission under the auspices of the Latvian president’s office.

He served as a judge of the European Court of Human Rights from 1995 to 2004, and was first appointed as a European Court of Justice judge in 2004. He was re-appointed to the office in 2006 and 2012.