New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) India and Poland on Thursday agreed to deepen ties in defence, space, and nuclear energy domains, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk pledging to double the annual bilateral trade from the current USD 6 billion by 2030.
Following the talks, PM Modi said both sides believe in democratic values and the rule of law and that India will continue to support every meaningful effort in bringing peace to Ukraine and West Asia.
Tusk is on a three-day visit to India amid renewed global push to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“Today we have agreed to deepen ties in defence, space, and nuclear energy. We invite Polish companies to engage in co-development and co-production with India in all these strategic areas,” Modi said.
“In critical minerals and coal gasification too, we will develop new partnerships with Polish expertise,” he added.
After the Modi-Tusk talks, the two sides made four announcements including doubling bilateral trade by 2030, establishing a defence industry dialogue and agreed to a dialogue on counter-terrorism.
In his remarks, Tusk said: “We are very aware of political threats and the need to become independent as much as possible in the area of minerals and strategic resources.”
The Polish prime minister said the two countries were able to build synergy as they have no conflicts of interest or historical issues that divide them. He also complimented Modi’s role on the global stage, describing it as a “beacon of hope” at a time of destabilisation and political uncertainty.
Tusk also referred to the growing defence cooperation between the two countries and made an apparent reference to the use of Polish drones by Indian military during Operation Sindoor.
“Our drones were very useful,” he said without elaborating.
In his comments, PM Modi said the friendship between India and Poland is based not only on diplomatic relations but also on a shared heritage of humanity and compassion.
“During the Second World War, the royal families of Jamnagar and Kolhapur provided refuge in India to thousands of Polish children and families. Even today, the people of Poland remember the Jam Saheb with great respect as ‘Dobry Maharaja’, meaning ‘Good Maharaja’,” he said.
“In 2022, Poland carried forward this same spirit of humanity by helping ensure the safe return of our students from Ukraine,” he said.
Modi also made a mention of the growing economic engagement between India and Poland.
“The world is going through a period of uncertainty and change. Even at this time, both India and Poland are emerging as important centres of growth, technology, and innovation,” he said.
The prime minister said the growing economic strength of the two countries has created new opportunities for India-Poland partnership.
“And the India-European Union free trade agreement has further expanded these opportunities. Upon entry into force, this agreement will open up new opportunities for exports of machinery, chemicals, plastics, and engineering goods from India to Poland,” Modi said.
“Additionally, we will attract new investments from Poland in sectors such as railways and mobility, advanced manufacturing, food processing, and biotech,” he said.
PM Modi also exuded confidence that India and Poland will work together to develop trusted supply chains for the world, and also realise the shared goal of doubling bilateral trade by 2030. PTI MPB KVK
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