Cyprus' six-month presidency of the EU Council officially ended today, with Ireland set to take over tomorrow. Throughout its term, Cyprus oversaw three summits, 19 informal ministerial meetings, and 52 formal ministerial meetings, running the presidency smoothly and efficiently. President Nikos Christodoulides received commendations from European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who praised Cyprus for progress in enlargement and paving the way for budgetary negotiations.

Among the presidency's tangible successes were agreements on the migration pact, air passenger rights update after 13 years of negotiations, and several omnibus agreements. While the presidency initially set ambitious goals aiming for greater EU autonomy, including security and defence readiness and competitiveness, some of these overarching aims remained theoretical. Nonetheless, Cyprus effectively managed the Council's agenda and delivered real, practical outcomes that underscored the competence of its technocrats and ministers.

Despite some initial overstatements about reshaping Europe's future, Cyprus' presidency is recognized as a period of stable and productive administration, marked by meaningful progress on key EU policy areas such as enlargement and migration, earning deserved congratulations for its dedicated team.