Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Poland’s capital Warsaw today in the first leg of his two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in the last 45 years. Before PM Modi, the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai had visited Poland in 1979 and he was the last Prime Minister to do so. Before him, Jawaharlal Nehru had visited Poland as Prime Minister in 1955 and Indira Gandhi in 1967. After a two-day visit to Poland, Prime Minister Modi will visit Ukraine on 23 August. Earlier, PM Modi had visited Russia and Austria in the second week of July.
Prime Minister Modi was given a grand welcome on his arrival at Warsaw airport. His visit is taking place when the two countries are completing 70 years of diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations between India and Poland were established in 1954. During the two-day visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. According to government sources, the main focus of this visit of Prime Minister Modi will be on defense and strategic partnership.
Before leaving for Poland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post, “I am going on an official visit to Poland and Ukraine. This visit is taking place on the occasion of completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations with Poland. Poland is our economic partner in Central Europe.”
Reports say that apart from the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Modi will also visit the memorials of the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur, which commemorate Indian help during the Second World War in the 1940s. In fact, during the Second World War, more than 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in two princely states of India (Jamnagar and Kolhapur). Apart from this, the Prime Minister will also address the Indian community there. About 25,000 Indians live in Poland. Apart from these, he will also address selected Polish business leaders.
Deepening cultural ties between India and Poland
The history of early contacts between India and Poland can be traced back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when Polish merchants and travellers visited various parts of India. However, official diplomatic relations between India and Poland were established only in 1954. Since then, political and cultural cooperation between the two countries has grown.
Sanskrit has been taught in Poland for a long time. Polish scholars translated Sanskrit texts into Polish in the 19th century. There is provision for Sanskrit studies at Warsaw University and Jagiellonian University. It is said that Sanskrit has been taught in these universities since 1860-61. A Sanskrit Chair was also established there in the year 1893. Sanskrit education helps Polish students understand Indian literature, religious texts and philosophies.
Wires are also connected with yoga
The cultural ties between India and Poland are also linked to Yoga. The history of Yoga in Poland dates back more than 100 years. There are many yoga schools and institutes in Poland that offer training in various yoga styles, such as Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa, and Atharva Veda. Institutes like Yoga Union and Yoga Asana offer yoga classes and instructor training programs in major Polish cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, and Poznan. It is estimated that more than three lakh people practice yoga in Poland. There are about one thousand yoga teaching centers, with eight thousand teachers.
Trade relations between India and Poland
Trade between India and Poland has grown rapidly in recent years. Trade between the two countries has seen an increase of 192 percent during 2013-2023. India and Poland imported and exported goods worth $5.72 billion (about Rs 48 thousand crores) in the year 2023. This includes exports of $3.95 billion (33 thousand 146 crores) from India to Poland and imports of $1.76 billion (14 thousand 770 crores) from Poland.
India provides various types of textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and information technology related services to Poland, while Poland exports machinery, electronic equipment and mechanical tools to India. India has invested more than three billion dollars (25 thousand 178 crores) in Poland. IT (Information Technology) and ICT (Information-Communication Technology) companies are prominent in this. These Indian companies have employed about 10 thousand people in Poland.
