New Egyptian cabinet sworn in

President Hosni Mubarak held a meeting with the new Cabinet who had taken the constitutional oath.

In the meeting, the president confirmed the priority of fighting corruption, as well as taking the required measures to reassure the safety of pubic and private properties.

The meeting also discussed means of controlling prices and preventing inflation, as well as keeping dialogue with all the political parties to maintain reforms.

With some ministers unchanged, the new cabinet line-up includes twelve new faces in interior, financial, housing, trade and industry, agriculture, irrigation, civil aviation, culture, transportation, health, local development and Waqfs (Religious Endowments).

The new cabinet included a new Shouah Council Affairs Ministry and divided the ministry of culture and antiquities into two new dependent ministries.

Mubarak appointed Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq, a former Air Force commander, as prime minister after the previous cabinet led by Mohamed Nazif was sacked by the president on Saturday.

Mubarak on Sunday tasked Shafiq to form a cabinet that can meet people's demands and alleviate economic burdens on the public with introducing democratic reforms.

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