Prime Minister Modi to Visit Poland and Ukraine in August
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Poland on August 21. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland since Morarji Desai’s trip in 1979. Modi’s visit to Poland will be a brief one-day stop before he continues on to Ukraine. Earlier Indian Prime Ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, also visited Poland before Desai.
During his stay in Warsaw, Modi will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The main focus of the visit will be on strengthening defense and strategic relations between India and Poland. Modi will also visit memorials dedicated to the Maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur, who provided refuge to Polish refugees during World War II.
India-Poland Relations
India and Poland have had a strong friendship for many years, with ongoing political and economic connections. Diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1954, and the Indian Embassy in Warsaw was established in 1957. The relationship remained friendly and close during the Communist era, including a visit by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955. Recently, India appointed a Defense Attaché to Poland.
Upcoming Visit to Ukraine
After Poland, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Ukraine on August 23. This will be his first visit to Ukraine since the start of the war with Russia. Modi is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This visit follows Modi's recent trip to Russia, where he met President Vladimir Putin on July 8-9, 2024, for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit.
Zelenskyy had previously criticized Modi’s visit to Russia and his meeting with Putin. Following a recent missile strike in Kyiv that killed at least 37 people, including three children, Zelenskyy expressed his concerns publicly.
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In recognition of his efforts to strengthen ties between India and Russia, Putin awarded Modi Russia’s highest civilian honor, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle. Putin described the award as a sign of Russia’s deep gratitude for Modi’s significant contributions to the relationship between the two nations.
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