MADRID, July 1. /TASS/. Spain took over the presidency of the Council of the EU from Sweden on Saturday.

The country will chair the council for the fifth time since it joined the union in 1986 and will pass the baton to Belgium on January 1, 2024.

Numerous events are planned in various Spanish cities over the next six months with the participation of the European leadership and authorities from EU member countries. It is expected that on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will travel to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

The visit is taking place following the EU summit where European leaders agreed on considering their input in providing security guarantees to Ukraine, further aid to Kiev and work on the potential use of Russia’s frozen assets.