It was the end of an era in Cuba on Thursday as Miguel Diaz-Canel was formally elected as the countrys new president, assuming power from Raul Castro, who himself took over from his elder brother Fidel, father of the 1959 revolution. Diaz-Canel became the first leader of the Caribbean island in six decades who is not named Castro. The silver-haired Diaz-Canel, a top Communist Party figure, has served as first vice president since 2013. In his half-hour speech to the nation, the new president pledged to preserve the islands communist system while gradually reforming the economy and making the government more responsive to the people. "The people have given this assembly the mandate to provide continuity to the Cuban Revolution during a crucial, historic moment that will be defined by all that we achieve in the advance of the modernization of our social and economic model," Diaz-Canel said. Diaz-Canel was elected in a landmark vote of the National Assembly which took place on Wednesday -- he was the sole candidate for the presidency -- with the result formally announced on Thursday. He is the islands first leader born after the revolution, and will be 58 on Friday. The chamber erupted into applause as the result was read out, with many of the delegates smiling, and shaking hands warmly with Castro and Diaz-Canel. As Diaz-Canel walked to the front of the chamber, he high-fived the front row of delegates and embraced Castro as he took the stage, images broadcast on state television showed. Then the 86-year-old Castro raised his successors left arm in the air in victory, prompting another wave of applause from the delegates -- some of whom were in civilian attire, while others wore military fatigues. It was a historic, though understated, handover. As Castro got up from the seat he has occupied for the past 12 years, it was immediately taken by Diaz-Canel, a man nearly 30 years his junior who has spent years climbing the party ranks. Next to him was the empty seat once occupied by Fidel, who died in 2016. Between them, the Castro brothers made the island of more than 11 million people a key player in the Cold War and helped keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union. Raul has been in power since 2006, when he took over after illness sidelined Fidel. Thursdays much-anticipated transfer of power took place on the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when Fidels forces defeated 1,400 US-backed rebels seeking to overthrow him. Havana has long hailed the showdown as American imperialisms first great defeat in Latin America. Diaz-Canel, who some say bears a passing resemblance to American actor Richard Gere, is a fan of The Beatles whose penchant for wearing jeans has set him apart in Havanas corridors of power. Although he has advocated fewer restrictions on the press and a greater openness to the internet, he also has a ruthless streak, with harsh words for Cubas dissidents and the United States. Crucially, he will remain under the watchful eye of Castro, who will continue to serve as the head of Cubas all-powerful Communist Party. "I confirm to this assembly that Raul Castro, as first secretary of the Communist Party, will lead the decisions about the future of the country," Diaz-Canel said. "Cuba needs him, providing ideas and proposals for the revolutionary cause, orienting and alerting us about any error or deficiency, teaching us, and always ready to confront imperialism." "From that point on, I will be just another soldier defending this revolution," Castro said. The new leader will be tasked with pursuing reforms begun by Castro to open up Cubas economy to small private entrepreneurs and reach a rapprochement with its Cold War arch-enemy, the United States. In 2015, Havana and Washington renewed diplomatic ties, with then president Barack Obama making a historic visit to the island a year later. But, steps towards a normalization of ties have been severely curtailed since Donald Trump arrived in the White House last year. Diaz-Canel inherits a youthful population hungry for change. But Cuba watchers and domestic analysts say he will favor continuity over change in the early days of his presidency -- and could hit some stumbling blocks along the way. One of the fiercest congressional critics of Cubas government said the islands new president is a "thug" who is just the "same as the old boss." Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says Congress sees Thursdays transition as "business as usual" and doesnt expect diplomatic relations to improve under Diaz-Canel. The Cuban-born lawmaker told The Associated Press Thursday that as long as Raul Castro remains, "There are really no changes." She said "Its the whole system that is corrupt. Its the communist, authoritarian, totalitarian regime."