On Wednesday, August 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Poland, marking the first such visit by an Indian premier in more than forty years. He is going to the war-torn country of Ukraine from Poland.
The official visit of PM Narendra Modi to Poland and Ukraine is significant given the escalating geopolitical tensions. Here’s what to anticipate when he arrives in Poland as part of his two-nation tour of Europe.
Poland and India established diplomatic relations in 1954 and have maintained amicable relations ever since. The Indian Embassy in Warsaw states that the two nations have a common ideological opposition to racism, imperialism, and colonialism. Over a thousand Polish refugees—most of them children—were taken in by Jam Sahab Digvijay of Nawanagar, now known as Jamnagar in Gujarat during the 1940s as they fled the war.
Jam Saheb, also known as “Good Maharaja” in Poland, had given people sanctuary in his kingdom in a location known as Balachadi. Poland and India have historical ties. Thousands of Polish refugees found asylum under the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur during World War II.
In a similar vein, during the war a Polish camp was established in Valivade in the Kolhapur Presidency (now Maharashtra), governed by Chatrapati Bhosale. Poland was situated near the former Soviet Union.
Following the collapse of Communism and in the aftermath of the Cold War, Warsaw prioritized on stronger ties with the United States, neglecting its ties with New Delhi. Poland and India kept up their bilateral relations in 1979, although they did not reach the same level of strategic depth.
Poland is India’s biggest economic and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe, despite a decline in ties. Between 2013 and 2023, the value of bilateral trade between the two countries increased by 192%, from $1.95 billion to $5.72 billion.
There is also a tiny Indian community in Poland. In the European nation, there are between 10,000 and 15,000 Indians employed in business, banking, IT, and academic organizations.
Following Morarji Desai in 1979, Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Poland. Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s prime minister at the time, visited in 1955, and Indira Gandhi did the same in 1967, before Desai.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Modi will meet with PM Donald Tusk in Warsaw and make a call to Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Trade, strategic alignment, and defense cooperation will probably be the main topics of conversation. He will converse with Poland’s Indian population as well. The PM will also pay respects at the tombs of the Maharajas of Kolhapur and Jamnagar.
Additionally, Modi is anticipated to tour the Battle of Monte Cassino Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Together, Polish and Indian soldiers fought against the military forces of Nazi Germany in the 1944 Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy.
Following Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, Prime Minister Modi is visiting Warsaw and Kiev. Despite having cordial relations with Moscow, New Delhi has remained impartial in the dispute. “This is not an era of war,” Modi notably reminded Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
New Delhi has consistently emphasized the need for “diplomacy and dialogue” to settle the conflict in Ukraine, even though it has refrained from criticizing Putin over the conflict. PM Narendra Modi is visiting Poland and Ukraine following his July visit to Russia.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, responded sharply to his bear hug with Putin, labeling it “a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” Among the European Union (EU) nations, Poland is one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine.
According to NATO estimates, Warsaw is modernizing its military and will devote 4.12% of its GDP to defense this year. As Poland develops its defense industry, New Delhi sees a chance to work together to strengthen its own military might.
India is concerned about Poland’s strategic location in Europe and its important role in NATO’s eastern flank, especially in light of the larger European security picture. After years, India sent a defense attaché to Poland earlier this year. This followed the first-ever posting of a military attaché by the EU to its mission in India last year.
India-Poland relations are expected to receive a much-needed boost from Modi’s visit. It is possible to argue that the connections have not revived. But it’s hoped that PM Modi’s initiative will provide the necessary impetus and elevate bilateral relations, an official stated.
