Warsaw: In a major achievement for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Thursday, where both sides agreed to elevate their relations to a 'Strategic Partnership'. The two countries also formulated a five-year action plan to guide bilateral cooperation from 2024 to 2028 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of India-Poland diplomatic relations.
"One of the main aspects of the visit has been that both the countries have decided to take their relationship to the level of strategic partnership... There have been multiple aspects where the two countries have decided to cooperate even further...Poland is a very important partner for India in this region," said Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal during a special press briefing.
"India is the fifth-largest economy now and Poland is the sixth-largest economy within the European Union. Poland is very important partner for India in this region," Lal added. Tusk thanked PM Modi for becoming the first Indian leader to visit Poland in 45 years, and said they discussed the deepening of their cooperation on defence matters and artificial intelligence.
Key points of India-Poland Action Plan (2024-2028)
- Political Dialogue and Security Cooperation: India and Poland agreed to maintain regular contacts between foreign ministers through bilateral and multilateral fora. They also pledged to ensure annual poliical dialogue at deputy ministerial level and encourage relevant institutions to hold regular consultations on security and defence cooperation. India and Poland will hold the next round of the Joint Working Group for defence cooperation later this year.
- Trade and Investment: Both sides agreed to explore further cooperation in high-tech, agriculture, agritech, food tech, energy, climate, green technologies, infrastructure, smart cities, defense, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and mining at the next Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) at the end of next year. They also committed to addressing all issues to facilitate smooth trade and investment.
- Climate, Energy, Science and Technology: India and Poland agreed to expand their cooperation in sustainable and environmentally friendly technological solutions for the circular economy and waste-water management and sought to work together on cleaner energy approaches. Poland also recognised India’s ambition to join the International Energy Agency.
- Transport and Connectivity: The two sides will explore developing cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure. They will work to enhance connectivity between their countries and respective regions by discussing and pursuing further expansion of flight connections.
- Terrorism and Cybersecurity: The two sides reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasized that no country should provide a safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit terrorist acts. They also agreed on close interactions in ICT-related fields, including legislative and regulatory solutions, judicial and police activities, deterrence, prevention and responses to cyber-attacks, awareness-building and educational programs, scientific and technological research.
- Social Security Agreement: The countries agreed to work together to implement the Agreement on Social Security and strengthen cooperation between cultural institutions and organisations of the two countries. They also pledged to strengthen cooperation in higher education and encourage universities from both sides to organise relevant activities. Both countries will also expand tourist flows in both directions by strengthening cooperation in tourism.
PM Modi meets Polish Indologists, Kabaddi players
Prime Minister Modi also met with Polish President Andrzej Duda and later interacted with Polish business leaders, Indologists and Kabaddi players. He met Alina Posluszny, MD TZMO India, a leading Polish manufacturer of diversified hygiene products, along with Gawel Lopinski, CEO of Billenium Pvt. Ltd., a leading Polish IT company with a notable presence in Pune.
According to the MEA, he also met with a group of prominent Polish Indologists, including Maria Christopher Byrski, a distinguished Polish Sanskrit scholar, Monika Browarczyk, a renowned Polish Hindi scholar, Halina Marlewicz, a prominent Polish scholar in Indian philosophy and Danuta Stasik, a prominent Polish Indologist. PM Modi appreciated the deep interest of the scholars in Indian subjects and said it played a significant role in strengthening India-Poland ties.
He also met Michal Spiczko, President of the Kabaddi Federation of Poland, and Anna Kalbarczyk, Board Member, Kabaddi Federation of Poland, in Warsaw. He commended them for their dedication towards advancing Kabaddi in Poland and popularising the sport in Europe.
After wrapping up his engagements in Poland, he will embark on another historic visit to Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine after establishing diplomatic ties in 1992.
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