Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Poland on August 21, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the eastern European nation in 45 years.
Former prime minister Morarji Desai visited Warsaw in 1979.
This visit is part of a broader diplomatic engagement that includes a trip to Ukraine, where a conflict with Russia has been going on for almost two and half years. The PM will visit Ukraine on August 23.
The visit is aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between India and Poland in sectors like defence and trade.
PM Modi will engage in high-level talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. He is also expected to meet the Indian community there.
The Prime Minister in his meeting with Tusk and Duda will discuss defence cooperation, with Poland offering military technical expertise and expressing interest in purchasing Indian defence products.
The visit also comes at a time when India is actively seeking to diversify its defence procurement and seeks options other than traditional suppliers like Russia as global tensions rise.
Sebastian Domżalski, Poland ambassador and chargé d’affaires to India, pointed out that Warsaw remains ready to collaborate with India on drone technology, a sector where India has shown keen interest.
This cooperation could potentially lead to joint ventures or technology transfers and the appointment of an Indian defence attaché in Warsaw earlier this year signifies the seriousness with which both nations view this partnership.
New Delhi and Warsaw also share strong economic ties as Poland is India’s largest trading and investment partner in central and eastern Europe.
The visit is expected to further cement economic ties, with potential agreements in technology, coal mining, and IT sectors. The growing presence of Indian IT companies in Poland, employing nearly 10,000 Polish nationals, underscores the deepening economic integration.
PM Modi will also pay tributes at memorials dedicated to the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur, who sheltered thousands of Polish refugees during World War II.
The geopolitical messaging of PM Modi’s visit is also significant. Just last month the Prime Minister was in Moscow discussing India-Russia ties with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has become a pariah in the eyes of the Western world.
Poland, a member of the European Union (EU), remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. The Polish stance on the conflict aligns with India’s call for dialogue and diplomacy.
The visit is also expected to touch on global governance issues. Polish ambassador Domżalski also pointed out that the UN Security Council needs a reform highlighting that India, the world’s most populous country, is still not a member of the grouping which calls for the need for a more representative international order.
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