site.btaDenmark Takes Over EU Council Presidency from Poland at Ceremony in Sveti Vlas

The rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union was officially handed over from Poland to Denmark during a ceremony in the resort town of Sveti Vlas on Wednesday, with Denmark set to lead the Council for the next six months starting July 1.

The event was attended by ambassadors Maciej Szymanski and Flemming Stender, as well as Vice President Iliana Iotova, who addressed the guests.

During the ceremony, Ambassador of Poland to Bulgaria Maciej Szymanski symbolically passed the Council presidency to Denmark’s ambassador, Flemming Stender. From July 1, Denmark will assume the leadership of the Council for the following six months.

Szymanski described the completed Polish presidency as a challenging but successful period for Europe. Szymanski compared the European Union to a ship that receives a new captain every six months, noting that the Polish presidency had worked to provide improved protection, stability, and direction for the EU.

He thanked the entire Polish team for its professionalism and dedication over the last six months, expressing confidence that Denmark would continue the chosen course with determination. He expressed confidence that, from July, the Council’s work would continue smoothly under Denmark’s leadership and emphasized the importance of seeking joint solutions to common challenges.

Earlier in the event, the ambassadors of Poland and Denmark laid flowers before the bas-reliefs of Vasil Levski, Hristo Botev, Adam Mickiewicz, and Hans Christian Andersen, which are located along the Alley of Nations in Sveti Vlas. The alley, created by the Bulgarian Memory Foundation – Dinevi Brothers, aims to symbolize respect for historical memory and friendship among nations.

At the site, Stender said the priorities and programme for the upcoming Danish presidency of the Council would be officially presented on Thursday in Copenhagen. Stender explained that the priorities and programme of the forthcoming Danish presidency would be presented in Bulgaria in July, coinciding with Denmark’s official assumption of the role. He also said Denmark would continue the work set out in the joint programme created together with Poland and Cyprus.

After the handover ceremony, a celebratory concert took place at the Arena Amphitheatre at the Dinevi Resort. Vice President Iliana Iotova was a special guest at the event, which featured the Burgas State Opera orchestra performing selected pieces from Polish and international film music.

The hosts of the event in Sveti Vlas were Ambassador Maciej Szymanski and the Mayor of Sveti Vlas Ivan Nikolov. Nikolov recalled that during the previous summer, Szymanski had unveiled the bas-relief of Polish poet and revolutionary Adam Mickiewicz at the Alley of Nations in Sveti Vlas.