New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Ambassador of Poland to India, Piotr Antoni Switalski, said on Thursday that ties between Poland and India have entered a new phase following Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to New Delhi in October and emphasised that both nations share similar positions on the issues of global governance, international tensions and conflicts.
In an interview with IANS, Switalski highlighted the economic dimension of India-Poland ties during PM Tusk's visit, noting that over 100 Polish companies participated in the visit and nearly 200 Indian firms participated in discussions on potential areas of cooperation.
On how he sees the current state of bilateral ties, Switalski said, "After the visit of our Prime Minister to India, which took place two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Poland, we can say that relations between Poland and India have entered a new phase. The visit of our Prime Minister was extremely successful. The official discussions with Prime Minister Modi showed a high degree, although not total, convergence of views on the most pressing issues on the international agenda. Poland and India share similar positions on the issues of global governance, conflicts and international tensions."
"This is very encouraging, as it opens up new opportunities for cooperation on the international stage. Regarding bilateral relations, I would particularly highlight the economic dimension. During the visit, two business forums were organised, one in New Delhi and another in Bengaluru. These were the largest business forums ever organised in the history of our bilateral relations. More than 100 Polish companies participated in the visit, while nearly 200 Indian companies joined discussions on potential areas of cooperation. 13 contracts, memoranda of understanding or letters of interest were concluded during the visit. This is something unprecedented which ushers us into a new era of bilateral relations," he added.
Stressing that India's support for Poland is extremely important for joining the G20 as a permanent member, he said, "India's support is extremely important. The voice of India counts very much, and the support extended by India for Poland's membership in the G20 is of extreme value to us. We have recently witnessed bilateral contacts during the ministerial meeting in Atlanta. We are looking forward to the G20 Summit in Miami. I believe that we can do a lot of things together, Poland sitting together with India in the G20 framework."
Switalski spoke about the warmth shared by PM Modi and PM Tusk. He recalled how PM Tusk expressed appreciation for PM Modi's efforts to stabilise the international situation and ensure peace during these turbulent times.
On personal chemistry between the two leaders, he said, "This chemistry is very important. As an experienced diplomat, I can tell you that it was not the first meeting or conversation at the highest level that I was lucky to witness or listen to. The personal chemistry and very warm feeling from both sides is something which I haven't seen before in many other meetings. This was indeed a very warm and friendly conversation. Our Prime Minister expressed very deep appreciation and respect for the role Prime Minister Modi is playing personally to stabilise the international situation and to ensure peace during these turbulent times."
PM Modi and PM Tusk discussed new avenues of cooperation in sectors like critical minerals, defence, green technologies, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) during their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi in October. The two leaders also discussed regional and global developments.
Switalski termed India's efforts to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine a "very useful and necessary step" and expressed gratitude to New Delhi for its initiatives. He stated that Poland and India want the Russia-Ukraine conflict to end at the earliest.
Hailing India's role in trying to promote peace and resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he said, "During the visit of our Prime Minister, he strengthened the link between our two countries by expressing very deep appreciation for the efforts made by India.
"India is a country which has a very strong and reliable international voice. The efforts made by India, including the peace proposals and the partial ceasefire proposal offered to Russia and Ukraine, were very useful and necessary steps. We are grateful for these initiatives."
"Both India and Poland want this conflict to end as soon as possible. Prime Minister Modi confirmed that working towards peace remains a constant priority for him. This is a goal which is always on his horizon, and we very much appreciate it. Of course, this is an extremely difficult task, and sometimes we can only feel frustrated when these efforts do not produce immediate results. Nevertheless, Poland and Europe as a whole greatly appreciate the role India is playing in trying to resolve this conflict and restore peace in Eastern Europe," he added.
Switalski said that PM Modi, through his charisma and dedication to peace, has become a "beacon of hope." He termed maintaining friendly ties with many nations as one of the greatest strengths.
On how he sees PM Modi's leadership and role on the global stage, Switalski said, "Prime Minister Modi, through his personal charisma and dedication, to the cause of peace has become a beacon of hope. I would like to quote our Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said that it was a great honour for him to be called a friend by Prime Minister Modi.
"One of India's greatest strengths is that it maintains friendly relations with many countries, including those that may stand on opposing sides of the barricade. India has the ability to talk to everyone, and its dedication to peace is very credible. We encourage India to continue its efforts to make its voice more audible and use it for the benefit of peace and reform of the global governance system."
--IANS
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