New Delhi: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that India and Poland shared aligned goals and had “no conflicts of interest”, as the two countries sought to deepen cooperation in defence, space, nuclear energy and trade.
Addressing a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi after high-level bilateral talks, Tusk said, “Our discussions are very successful, not only because Poland and India are countries that share a lot, but we are divided by nothing, maybe by geographic distance. And the synergies between Poland and India are quite simple. We have no conflicts of interest.”
Tusk described the relationship as one founded on trust, shared values and common ideas, including nonviolence. “We have no historical issues that divide us,” he said, drawing parallels between Poland’s Solidarity movement, which challenged communist rule through nonviolent action, and India’s own tradition of nonviolence. He added that Poland had been inspired by India’s history and political traditions.
Tusk also said he was “very proud” to call Modi his friend and praised India’s growing international role, saying New Delhi could provide direction amid global uncertainty. “Someone like you, Prime Minister, leading a country as powerful as India, is a beacon of hope for all of us. And I am very, very proud, truly proud, that I can call myself your friend, Mr. Prime Minister,” he said.
The leaders discussed defence and economic ties, international conflicts and the need to make global institutions more effective in addressing contemporary challenges.
#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk deliver a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House following high-level bilateral talks.
Polish PM Donald Tusk says, "We have just completed a very important and fruitful discussion with PM… pic.twitter.com/BGsd6UQTfW
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2026
Modi reiterated India’s support for efforts to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. “Be it Ukraine or West Asia, India will continue to support every meaningful effort towards peace,” he said, standing next to the PM of Poland, which has been a key strategic and military ally to Ukraine.
India recently proposed a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described as the “broadest” among four proposals under discussion.
Tusk’s three-day visit, which began on Wednesday, is the first by a Polish prime minister to India since 2010. It follows Modi’s 2024 visit to Poland, the first official visit by an Indian prime minister in 45 years. During that visit, the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership and adopted an action plan for 2024-2028 to guide cooperation.
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Drones and defence take centre stage
Defence and emerging technologies featured prominently in the talks, with both sides exploring closer cooperation in drones, satellites, space technology and nuclear energy.
“Our drones have been very useful recently,” Tusk said, expressing confidence that cooperation in drones and satellites could help countries navigate political tensions and crises.
Modi invited Polish companies to participate in the joint development and production of technologies across defence, space and nuclear energy. He said the partnership had gained momentum since its elevation in Warsaw in 2024.
“Building on this strong foundation, our partnership has gained new momentum over the past two years. We invite companies from Poland to engage in co-development and co-production with India in all these strategic sectors,” said the PM.
Tusk highlighted Poland’s expertise in drones and satellites as an important component of the partnership. In an earlier conversation with ThePrint, Poland’s ambassador to India, Piotr Antoni Świtalski, said Indian forces had extensively used Polish-made drones in military operations, including Operation Sindoor. He added that new contracts had been signed for attack and reconnaissance drones.
Tusk arrived with a delegation representing nearly 100 companies. The delegation includes representatives of the Polish Space Agency, space and technology companies, and businesses from several other sectors. Tusk described it as the largest delegation of its kind in the history of bilateral relations.
“The foundation of the strategic Polish-Indian partnership is the economy and our economic relations,” he said.
Space and nuclear energy
The two countries also identified space technology and nuclear energy as priorities for deeper cooperation, alongside established industrial sectors.
Tusk said the partnership should cover traditional industries such as mining, coal gasification, shipyards and shipbuilding, while expanding into space technology, digitalisation, satellites and advanced defence systems.
“Our plans are very ambitious, not only in traditional industries such as mining, gasification of coal, shipyard and shipbuilding, but also we have ambitious and shared goals of the space industry, digitisation, digitalisation satellites, state of the art defense system,” he said.
He reiterated that economic ties formed the foundation of the broader strategic partnership, adding that closer engagement between businesses in both countries could translate political commitments into concrete projects.
After his meetings in New Delhi, Tusk said he would travel to Bengaluru, which he described as the heart of India’s technology industry. The visit underscores Poland’s interest in expanding cooperation beyond established commercial ties into technology-intensive industries and strategic sectors.
“The last 35 years have been an unprecedented economic success and dynamic growth for all our countries,” Tusk said. “The world looks up to us with envy: To you, how you develop as India, and to the development of Poland.”
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)