国际英语新闻：Poland's new president vows to boost economic growth, political solidarity

WARSAW, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bronislaw Komorowski was sworn in as Poland's new president on Friday, pledging accelerated efforts to promote economy and boost solidarity among various political parties.

"Poland needs cooperation between the most important institutions of the state, between the government, the parliament, the president but also between political parties, between those in government and those in opposition," Komorowski said in his inaugural speech.

"As president I declare my will for such cooperation," he said.

Komorowski became acting president after the death of President Lech Kaczynski in an air crash on April 10 near Smolensk, Russia.

The new president pledged to help modernize Poland during his five-year term, saying the government's top priority at present was to promote economic growth and create more job opportunities for young people so as to raise people's living standard.

He also pledged to make all-out efforts to promote education, scientific research and culture, and improve the country's creaky state health system.

The free-market liberal Komorowski vowed to support Poland's government in developing ties within the European Union (EU), which Poland joined in 2004.

Komorowski said Poland, which will take EU's rotating presidency in the second half of 2011, would play its due role in the bloc.

He said that the EU must speak with one voice through strengthening cooperation among member states, adding that his first overseas trips as president would be to Brussels, Paris and Berlin.

Meanwhile, Komorowski vowed to back the country's recent rapprochement with Russia. "There will be no stable development in our region without the cooperation of Russia," he said.

Komorowski also pledged to promote cooperation with the United States.

While talking about the Afghanistan issue, Komorowski said that Poland, as a NATO member, should support NATO's mission in the war-torn country.

However, he added that it was time to redefine the goal and purpose of NATO's presence in Afghanistan.

Komorowski had said in June that he would end his country's military mission in Afghanistan in 2012 if he won the presidential election.

In his speech, Komorowski also paid tribute to the 96 people who died in the April 10 plane crash in Russia.

"It also showed us all that our society, constitution and democracy, can rise to such a situation," Komorowski said, "The order which we have built over the last 20 years in Poland managed to maintain the continuity of power and to honor the memory of the victims with dignity."

Komorowski, 58, a graduate of Warsaw University History Department, is Poland's fifth president since 1989. As head of state, he will formally serve as the supreme commander of the armed forces but most executive powers rest with the cabinet.

Komorowski, the ruling Civic Platform's candidate, won an election run-off on July 4 with 53.01 percent of the vote. His rival, Law and Justice leader and the late president's identical twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski, captured 46.99 percent of the vote.

The presidential elections were originally scheduled for October. Komorowski decided to call for an early election in line with the election law.