 "PM Narendra Modi's visit is aimed at enhancing ties with Poland. File Photo/AFP")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to make his way to Poland on a two-day visit on Wednesday (August 21), making it the first visit by an Indian premier in over four decades. From Poland, he will head to war-struck Ukraine.
Both trips of Modi assume importance amid the rising geopolitical tensions. As he reaches Poland as part of his two-nation trip to Europe, here’s what to expect.
India-Poland ties
India and Poland have longstanding friendly ties, with the two countries establishing diplomatic relations in 1954.
The two countries are united in their ideological stance against colonialism, imperialism and racism, according to the Embassy of India, Warsaw.
India and Poland share historical relations. During the Second World War, the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur provided shelter to thousands of Polish refugees.
In the 1940s, Jam Sahab Digvijay of Nawanagar (currently known as Jamnagar in Gujarat) accepted over 1,000 Polish refugees, mostly children, escaping the war. Jam Saheb, who is referred to as ‘Good Maharaja’ in Poland, had provided refuge in his kingdom at a place called Balachadi.
Similarly, a Polish camp was set up in Valivade in the Kolhapur Presidency (now in Maharashtra), ruled by Bhosale Chatrapati, during the war, noted The Sunday Guardian.
Poland was close to the erstwhile Soviet Union. After the fall of Communism and in a post-Cold War world, Warsaw moved on to develop closer ties to the United States, as its relations with New Delhi took a backseat, as per ThePrint report.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIndia and Poland maintained bilateral ties but it missed the strategic depth as before in 1979.
Despite a dip in ties, Poland is India’s largest trading and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe. The total bilateral trade between the nations surged 192 per cent, from $1.95 billion in 2013 to $5.72 billion in 2023.
Poland is also home to a small Indian community. About 10,000 to 15,000 Indians work in IT, finance, business, and academic institutions in the European country, reported The Sunday Guardian.
Modi’s visit to Poland
Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Poland after Morarji Desai in 1979. Before Desai, the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru went to the country in 1955, followed by Indira Gandhi in 1967.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Modi will call on Polish President Andrzej Duda and hold bilateral talks with PM Donald Tusk in Warsaw. The discussions are likely to focus on defence collaboration, trade, and strategic alignment, as per Financial Express.
He will also interact with the Indian community in Poland . Sources told ThePrint that the PM will also visit the memorials of the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur.
Modi is also expected to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the memorial for the Battle of Monte Cassino, ThePrint reported.
In 1944, Indian and Polish soldiers fought together in the Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy, against Nazi Germany. It was one of the toughest battles fought by Indian soldiers during the Second World War.
Why PM’s Poland trip matters
PM Modi’s visit to Warsaw and Kyiv comes in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
New Delhi, which enjoys friendly ties with Moscow, has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict. Modi famously told Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022: “This is not an era of war.”
While New Delhi has refrained from criticising Putin over the war, it has repeatedly stressed the need for “diplomacy and dialogue” to end the Ukraine war.
PM’s trip comes on the heels of his visit to Moscow in July. His bear hug with Putin had evoked a sharp reaction from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called it “a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts”.
Poland, a part of the European Union (EU), is one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine.
Warsaw is undertaking military modernisation efforts and will spend 4.12 per cent of its GDP on defence this year, according to NATO estimates. As Poland builds up its defence sector, New Delhi views an opportunity to enhance its own military capabilities through collaborative efforts, as per the Financial Express report.
Poland’s strategic location in Europe and its key role in NATO’s eastern flank matters to India, particularly in the broader context of European security.
Earlier this year, India appointed a defence attaché to Poland after years. This came after the EU posted a military attaché to its mission in India for the first time last year. New Delhi’s similar move was “reflective of the desire to expand two-way defence ties”, PTI reported citing unnamed sources.
Modi’s visit is likely to give a much-needed boost to the relations between India and Poland. “One can say that the ties have remained dormant. However, it is hoped that PM Modi’s push will give it the required push and take bilateral ties to a higher level,” a source told ThePrint.
With inputs from agencies