Updated 12.50

Francis Zammit Dimech was sworn in as Foreign Minister early this afternoon, succeeding Tonio Borg following his appointment as European Commissioner.

He said after the swearing-in ceremony that he had a long meeting with Dr Borg this morning and will carry on in his footsteps until the end of the legislature.

Dr Borg resigned from the Cabinet this morning. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi thanked him for his service to the country and wished him well in his new post.

Dr Zammit Dimech was chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee for the past two years.

Prior to 2008, he held various ministerial portfolios which saw him responsible for communications, infrastructural projects, tourism and the arts.

Dr Zammit Dimech, a lawyer well-known for his oratory and good humour, is a former broadcaster who as a young man was also heavily involved in activities for youths, having set up the Teens and Twenties Talent Trust, better known as the 4Ts.