Poland takes over EU presidency

In his remarks, Costa described Poland as "a cornerstone of European defence, a crucial pillar of the Single Market, and an innovative and blooming economy."

Tusk, meanwhile, pledged that Poland would act as a "guardian of solidarity" during its presidency.

The Polish government outlined its presidency's priorities, emphasising defence and security policies under the motto “Security, Europe!”. Migration policy also ranks high on the agenda, focusing on reducing irregular migration and bolstering border security.

"Together we will seek new solutions to comprehensively address the challenges of migration and security at the EU’s external borders, work to reduce irregular migration and strengthen the effectiveness of the return policy," the presidency programme stated.

Outside the ceremony in Warsaw, hundreds of Polish farmers protested against the proposed free trade agreement between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc, the European Green Deal, and agricultural imports from Ukraine.