PM Modi and Polish President Duda discuss conflict in Ukraine and West Asia

Warsaw, Aug 22  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andrzej Sebastian Duda, President of Poland, held discussions on deepening the India-Poland partnership across a wide range of sectors – including food processing, Artificial Intelligence, energy, and infrastructure – during their meeting at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw on Thursday.

“They welcomed the upgradation of India-Poland ties to a Strategic Partnership. They also discussed regional and global issues including conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. Prime Minister expressed sincere gratitude for Poland’s invaluable and timely assistance in evacuating Indian citizens from Ukraine during Operation Ganga,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated after the meeting.

The ministry revealed that both nations have also agreed on a social security agreement, ensuring greater benefits for citizens. “India greatly values the warm relations with Poland. We look forward to boosting commercial and cultural linkages between our nations in the times to come,” PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.

President Duda’s office said one of the key topics discussed between the two leaders was the ongoing war in Ukraine and its global consequences. Mieszko Pawlak, the head of the International Policy Bureau of the President of Poland, announced before the meeting that an important topic of talks between the President Duda and PM Modi will be “security issues and Russian aggression against Ukraine, in the context of Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Moscow, but also talks during the peace summit in Switzerland , in which India participated, and its role in the peace process”.

In an interview with Polish web portal Interia, Pawlak said that “an additional dimension of the discussion will be President Duda’s recent visit to China”. The visit of PM Modi to Poland takes place on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The last visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Poland took place in 1979. Earlier, while addressing the media after holding talks with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk at the Federal Chancellery, Prime Minister Modi invited companies from Poland to join the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative as both countries decided to transform the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership. Tusk termed it as a “great privilege” to host PM Modi Modi on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“This is a sufficient illustration of the significance of this visit and your presence today. This is undoubtedly proof of the increasingly good relations between our countries, of the significance for the entire region, I will not exaggerate if I say for the entire world between India and Poland,” said the Polish PM. He mentioned that the whole world admires India for the consistently democratic nature of its governance, which is “not common in that part of the world”. Identifying several areas for mutual cooperation, PM Modi remarked that Poland is a world leader in the field of food processing and Polish companies can join the mega food parks being set up in India.

He also touched on the issue of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, saying that it remains a “matter of deep concern” for everyone. “India firmly believes that no problem can be solved on the battlefield. The loss of lives of innocent people in any crisis has become the biggest challenge for the entire humanity. We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. For this, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support,” said Prime Minister Modi. From Poland, PM Modi will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky which will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine.