PM Modi receives warm welcome in Poland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Warsaw on Monday on a two-day visit, a first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in the past 45 years. He received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the members of the Indian community.

The Prime Minister waved to the gathering and also shook hands with some of those present. The members of Indian community raised slogans lauding PM Modi as also “Bharat mata ki jai” slogans. Some also raised “Modi, Modi” slogans.

Earlier, PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Warsaw airport. PM Modi said he looked forward to the various programmes in Poland and that his visit will add momentum to bilateral friendship and benefit people of two countries.

During his visit, PM Modi will hold meetings with his Polish counterpart and the President, and will also engage with the Indian community. Later today the Prime Minister will first lay a wreath at the memorial of the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar.

The memorial is dedicated to Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, a former Maharaja of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar). In 1942, the Maharaja established the Polish Children’s Camp in Jamnagar for refugee Polish children who were brought out of Poland during World War II.

He will also visit the monument to the Battle of Monte Cassino. The monument commemorates the victory of the soldiers of the Second Polish Corps at the Battle of Monte Cassino during the Second World War in 1944. The Second Polish Corps conquered the hill and the monastery on it. More than 900 Polish soldiers were killed in this battle.

The PM will also visit the Kolhapur Memorial adjacent to this monument. This has been set up in memory of the village in Kolhapur that hosted the Polish children whom the Jam Saheb of Nawangar had granted refuge. The children were moved to Valivade in Kolhapur in 1945.

Ahead of emplaning from New Delhi for his key visits to the two countries, Prime Minister Modi said that he looks forward to helping create the foundation for stronger and more vibrant relations with the two countries in the years ahead.

The Prime Minister said that his visit comes as both the countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.

“My 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,” PM Modi said in a statement.

Earlier India’s Ambassador to Poland Nagma Mallick said, “We have a very good and growing bilateral trade turnover of about USD 6 billion, and the balance of trade is very much in India’s favour, we have good Indian investments here of around USD 3 billion and Polish investors have also invested in India of just under a billion dollars,” the Indian Ambassador said.

After he visits Poland, PM Modi will travel to Ukraine at the invitation of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine.