Zoran Milanovic inaugurated as Croatian president

ZAGREB - Former Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic was sworn in here on Tuesday as the fifth Croatian president at the President's Office.

"I will invest everything I know and everything I have to build a presidential term that will benefit Croatia and all its citizens," Milanovic said in his inaugural speech after reading the oath before Constitutional Court President Miroslav Separovic.

Milanovic said he believes that the scientific community, the judiciary system and the media must improve the mechanisms for combating dishonesty and corruption.

This was the first time that a presidential inauguration ceremony in Croatia was not held at St. Mark's Square in the city center of Zagreb, where the parliament and government buildings are located. Instead, Milanovic decided to forgo the usual pomp of the ceremony by inviting merely some 40 guests, including state officials, former presidents, his family and members of his campaign team.

Social-Democrat Milanovic served as Croatian prime minister from 2011 until 2016. He was elected on Jan. 5 in the second round of presidential election. With 52.7 percent of votes, he beat the incumbent president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

The 53-year-old new president will begin the first working day of his five-year term on Wednesday.