Poland takes over EU presidency with security as priority
Kuwait will host the 29th Gulf European Ministerial Meeting this year

The Times Kuwait Report
Poland has taken over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from the beginning of the year, disclosed Ambassador of Poland H E Michael Cholewa in a joint press briefing at the embassy on 16 January.
Elaborating on the EU presidency, he said, Poland took over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time, the first being in 2011, and will strive to prioritise security as the main goal. He added that Poland joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and last year celebrated the 20th anniversary of accession.
Ambassador Cholewa pointed out that while the motto of the Polish presidency was Security, Europe, the foundation of the Polish presidency’s activities in 2025 will be the multi-faceted security: external, internal, information, energy, economic, food and health.
Explaining the design of the logo of the Polish presidency, Ambassador Cholewa said that it was inspired by Poland’s recent history. It symbolizes the rebirth of independent Poland, hearkens back to the best traditions of the Solidarity movement and marks Poland’s return to the mainstream of European debate.
The Polish flag at the center of the European Union symbolizes the present, highlighting the overwhelming enthusiasm of Poles towards the EU as well as Poland’s leadership in terms of European integration. The Polish flag is also intertwined with the letters ‘E’ and ‘U’, which alludes to two decades of Poland’s membership in the Union, as well as the partnership and synergy. In addition, the logo reflects Poland’s commitment to European affairs and the ambition to set the course of EU policies, in particular concerning the security of the continent.
Regarding EU-GCC relations, the ambassador said that the EU views the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as important actors in the regional and global arena, as they have proven to be strong and trusted partners of the European Union in the areas of trade, combatting terrorism, energy, environment, climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and economic diversification.
He stressed that the Polish presidency also considers it important to further strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the EU and GCC, which has increased over the years. “We will strive to implement the statements issued during the first summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council in Brussels, on 16 October 2024,” said the Polish envoy.
He also pointed out that Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union coincides with Kuwait’s presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is a valuable opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relations. In this context, we hope to see high-level visits in 2025. He indicated that his country supports the exemption for Kuwaitis from the Schengen visa and that the file is currently in the hands of the European Commission, which is expected to submit its proposals to the European Parliament soon.
For her part, Ambassador of the European Union, H E Anne Kostenin, congratulated the Polish Ambassador on the occasion of his country’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will last up to 30 June.
She also stated that the Polish presidency in 2025,will be a distinguished year of relations between the European Union and Kuwait and between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
She wished Kuwait every success in the presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council for 2025, stressing that Kuwait will play a key role in advancing the results of the first summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. She also pointed out that Kuwait will host later in 2025 the twenty-ninth joint ministerial meeting between the 27 member states of the European Union and the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to follow up on what was discussed last October at the Brussels summit.