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1st LD Writethru : Greece's SYRIZA-led coalition gov't line-up unveiled

Xinhua, January 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greece's new anti-bailout Radical Left SYRIZA-led coalition government line-up was unveiled on Tuesday following Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' agreement with the Right- wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party to co-rule the debt-laden country after Sunday's national elections.

Economist Yanis Varoufakis was named as Finance Minister, according to the official announcement made at the Parliament by new State Minister Nikos Pappas who was accompanied by the new government's spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis.

Varoufakis will hold a key role in negotiations with Greece's international lenders over post-bailout cooperation and the new government's request for further relief of the Greek sovereign debt.

The new two- party coalition cabinet is of smaller size compared to past governments, as 40-year old Tsipras who was sworn in on Monday as Premier had pledged during the election campaign. With a Presidential Decree ministries were merged.

In some of the key cabinet portfolios, SYRIZA heavyweight MP Yannis Dragasakis assumed the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

Economist Giorgos Stathakis will head the new super Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism. SYRIZA MP Theodoros Dritsas will be Deputy Minister of Shipping and ANEL legislator Elena Koundoura will be the new Deputy Minister of Tourism.

Professor of Political Theories of International Studies Nikos Kotzias was appointed as new Foreign Affairs Minister, while Panos Kammenos, the leader of ANEL, takes over the helm of the Defense Ministry.

The new Ministry of Interior which merged with the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Public Order will be headed by SYRIZA MP Nikos Voutsis.

SYRIZA MP Panagiotis Lafazanis was appointed at the helm of the Ministry of Production Reconstruction, Environment and Energy, while academic Aristeidis Baltas takes over the Culture, Sport, Education and Religious Affairs Ministry.

Panagiotis Kouroublis was named as Minister of Health and former party spokesman Panagiotis Skourletis as Minister of Labor.

Panagiotis Nikoloudis, the outgoing chief of the Authority for Combating Money Laundering will head the newly created Ministry against Corruption.

SYRIZA MP Zoi Konstantopoulou will be appointed as Speaker of Parliament when the new assembly convenes on February 5.

The new cabinet was scheduled to be sworn in at the Presidential Mansion later on Tuesday. Enditem