Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands after a press conference at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland, August 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted on Thursday (August 22, 2024) by his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk before heading to Kyiv for top-level meetings.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Tusk met for talks on security, the war on Ukraine by India’s strategic partner Russia, and invigorating bilateral ties. They were expected to make statements, and later the Indian leader is to meet with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda.

Ahead of his visit, Mr. Modi said Poland was India’s key economy partner in Central Europe.

The two leaders are expected to sign bilateral strategic cooperation agreements covering cybersecurity and the defence sector.

Sitting on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, Poland is concerned about the two-year-old war across its eastern border. It’s offered political, humanitarian and defense support to Ukraine.

Kyiv chastised Mr. Modi for a visit to Moscow last month, during which he met and hugged President Vladimir Putin. Modi has avoided condemning Russia while emphasizing a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the meeting as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” He also chided Mr. Modi for hugging Mr. Putin during their meeting.

Mr. Modi’s visit to Poland also marks 70 years of official bilateral relations between New Delhi and Warsaw.

According to figures cited by the Embassy of India, the total value of bilateral trade increased from $1.95 billion to $5.72 billion from 2013-2023, with India’s exports accounting for a majority.

Then-Indian President Pratibha Patil visited Poland in 2009, and Mr. Tusk, during his first term as Prime Minister, paid a visit to India in 2010.

On Friday, Mr. Modi travels to Kyiv to meet with Mr. Zelensky.