President Petro Poroshenko's oath-of-office was taken by Yuri Baurlin, head of the country’s Constitution Court, who also handed over the official presidential symbols: a reference sample of the official seal, mace and the president’s sign in the form of a sash chain. Poroshenko swore allegiance to the Constitution of the people of Ukraine and Peresopnytsia Gospel.

During the ceremony, the parliamentary speaker, Alexander Turchynov, members of the government, and Ukraine’s former presidents - Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko were present in the hall.
On relations with the country's south-east bordering with Russia
Poroshenko says about his determination "to go to the east of the country with peace" in the near future.
Switching from the Ukrainian to the Russian language in his inaugural speech at the Verkhovna Rada on Saturday, Poroshenko said: "What will I bring with me as president when I visit you in the near future? Peace. A project of the governance system decentralization."
Poroshenko vowed to call early local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, a territory known as Donbass, to settle the crisis in these regions.
On association agreement with EU
Ukraine’s newly elected President Petro Poroshenko says in his inauguration speech he is ready to sign immediately the economic part of the agreement on Ukraine’s association with the EU.
"I am ready to sign immediately the second part of Ukraine’s agreement with the EU on association. The pen is in my hand already," he said. "Ukraine’s aspiration is to become as soon as possible the EU’s full-fledged member," he added.
"We have already completed the first phase of visa-free travel and will complete the second one very soon, so that citizens could have the opportunity to travel to Europe without visas starting January 1, 2015," Poroshenko said in his inaugural speech at the Verkhovna Rada on Saturday.
On the language issue
The Ukrainian language will remain the only official language in Ukraine, Poroshenko said, Interfax reports.
"Living in a new way means that you cannot ignore the people's will, and living freely means speaking freely in the native language and being guided by Article 10 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the Ukrainian language is the only official language, which guarantees free development of the Russian and other languages," he said.
On parliamentary elections
Petro Poroshenko called for holding early parliamentary elections.
"The full reset of the governance system, including early parliamentary elections, is an important element of public aspirations," Poroshenko stated.
On security issue
Kiev should sign a new international agreement guaranteeing its security to replace the Budapest Memorandum, says Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
"I will use all my diplomatic experience to secure the signature of an international agreement that would come instead of the Budapest Memorandum. Such an agreement should provide reliable guarantees of peace and security, including military support in case of a threat to our territorial integrity," Poroshenko said in his inaugural speech at the Verkhovna Rada on Saturday.
On Crimea
Poroshenko says he considers the Crimea Ukrainian territory.
"There can't be any compromise with anyone regarding the Crimea, the European choice, and the governance system," Poroshenko said.