ADDIS ABABA - The two houses of the Ethiopian parliament on Monday appointed Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie as the new president.

The appointment followed the end of the term of current President Sahle-Work Zewde after six years of service as the country's head of state.

The newly-appointed president was sworn in on Monday before members of Ethiopia's House of Peoples' Representatives (HoPR) and House of Federation as the new leader of Africa's second most populous nation.

With a diplomatic career spanning three decades, including his role as Ethiopia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Atske Selassie has served as the country's foreign minister since February this year until his new appointment.

Prior to his appointment as the country's foreign minister, he also held the position of foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Zewde was elected as Ethiopia's first female president in October 2018.

In his acceptance speech following his appointment, Atske Selassie expressed his strong commitment to serving Ethiopia and its people, with a particular focus on fostering national unity and togetherness.

READ MORE: Xi: Jointly advance modernization with Africa

"Deep foresight and patience are the poles of Ethiopia's endurance. Hence, it is necessary to move forward by moving away from distractive ideas," he told members of the Ethiopian parliament.

He further stressed the collective responsibility to maintain national harmony to tackle socioeconomic and governance challenges while preserving recent positive achievements.

Atske Selassie also called on Ethiopians from all walks of life to exert concerted efforts towards the realization of the country's development aspirations.

Addressing a joint session of the two houses, Atske Selassie said the government is striving to achieve 8.4 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year starting on July 8. To reach this goal, efforts are being made to address foreign currency shortages, curb inflation, and build a resilient agricultural sector that can withstand the impacts of climate change.

READ MORE: PM: Ethiopia's BRICS membership to further strengthen cooperation

He noted that Ethiopia achieved 8.1 percent economic growth last fiscal year, significantly reducing inflation and creating job opportunities for over 4 million people.

"The government will focus on expanding mechanized agriculture, creating a favorable investment climate, substituting imported commodities, implementing macroeconomic reforms, and improving tax and non-tax collections to meet the target," the new president said.

Atske Selassie also highlighted Ethiopia's deepening diplomatic relations with China, which have been elevated to an all-weather strategic partnership. He emphasized that Ethiopia's engagement with China continues to gain momentum.

He also said that Ethiopia's diplomatic influence in multilateralism has strengthened with its recent entry into the BRICS mechanism earlier this year.

READ MORE: BRICS urged to become 'new type' of multilateral mechanism

Ethiopia, which operates under a parliamentary political system, grants its president largely ceremonial powers. These include granting amnesty to prisoners, officially opening the annual sessions of the parliament's two houses, receiving foreign ambassadors, and presenting the country's annual objectives to the parliament.

In contrast, the prime minister serves as the head of government, with the party or coalition holding at least 51 percent of the seats in the HoPR, the parliament's lower house, forming the government.

Also on Monday, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat congratulated Taye Atske Selassie on his appointment as Ethiopia's new president.

ALSO READ: AU calls for continental integration in mid-year coordination meeting

The chairperson of the 55-member continental organization "warmly congratulates Taye Atske Selassie upon his appointment as President of Ethiopia," read an AU statement issued Monday evening.

Faki also commended Zewde, "for her historic and impactful leadership during her six-year tenure of office as president."

He further reiterated the continued support of the AU to Ethiopia's journey toward deepening the country's democracy and sustainable development.