PM Modi arrives in Warsaw, says Poland visit will add momentum to bilateral friendship

Warsaw: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his maiden visit to Poland will add momentum to the bilateral friendship and benefit the people of the two countries as he arrived here on the first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Modi, who will meet Poland's President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, said he was looking forward to the various programmes in the Polish capital here.

"Landed in Poland. Looking forward to the various programmes here. This visit will add momentum to the India-Poland friendship and benefit the people of our nations," Modi said in a post on X soon after his arrival at the Warsaw military airport here.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years.

The Indian community members in Poland gave a warm welcome to Prime Minister Modi when he arrived at the hotel where Polish and Indian artists performed the vibrant cultural dance from Gujarat.

"Deeply touched by the warm welcome from the Indian community in Poland! Their energy embodies the strong ties that bind our nations," Modi said in another post on X.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the prime minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. "This visit holds special significance as India & Poland are commemorating 70 years of diplomatic relations this year." Earlier today in his departure statement, Modi said his visit to Poland comes "as we mark 70 years of our diplomatic relations. Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe".

"Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship. I look forward to meeting my friend Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to further advance our partnership," he said.

Prime Minister Modi's discussions with the Polish leadership during his two-day visit will allow the two sides to exchange views at the top level on a variety of subjects and it will be a kind of real "useful exchange" of views, Indian Ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick told PTI Videos here.

From Warsaw, Modi will travel to Kyiv on the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991.

"From Poland, I will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine," he said.

"I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict," he said.

"As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region," he added.

Modi said he was confident that his visit to Warsaw and Kyiv "will serve as a natural continuation of extensive contacts with the two countries and help create the foundation for stronger and more vibrant relations in the years ahead".

The prime minister will travel to Kyiv from Poland in a 'Rail Force One' train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration.

Modi's visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.