'In Polish media, it's the top story': Indian ambassador to Poland on PM Modi's upcoming visit

Aug. 20, 2024, 12:48 p.m.

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A day after the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Poland on August 21-22, India’s ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick on Tuesday said there is a lot of excitement around PM’s upcoming visit and the news is also the top story in the Polish media.

Speaking to ANI news agency, Mallick said PM Modi’s visit is a very exciting visit and an important one, symbolically as well as practically.

Advertisement “In the Polish media. It’s the top story. It’s on the front pages everywhere. This excitement is there thanks to Prime Minister Modi’s international stature and his profile. The visit is an important one because Poland is an important country in central Europe, it is a significant member of the European Union,” added Mallick.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "I think it's a very exciting visit and an important one, symbolically as well as practically. In the Polish media. It's the top story. It's on the front pages everywhere. This… pic.twitter.com/QWBcgcorb9

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024 She said India has a very good and growing bilateral trade with Poland, with a turnover of about $6 billion and the balance of trade is very much in India’s favour.

“We have good Indian investments here of around $3 billion. Polish investors have also invested in India of just under a billion dollars… The people who spent their childhood in India and who now call themselves the Indianapolis. They cherish their memories of India, of growing up in India. And all of these also form a kind of bedrock of affection between our people. This visit will be a very timely one and it will be something that also shows us the pathway ahead to broaden the relationship both politically and economically,” added Mallick.

Advertisement Talking about PM Modi’s itinerary, she said after his arrival the Prime Minister will pay his homage to the three memorials in the country, including that of Jam Sahab.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "After arrival here tomorrow PM Modi will first visit pay his homage to the three memorials and he will be the first prime minister to pay his respects at all these three… pic.twitter.com/tR9jnPUvGw

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024 “After arrival here tomorrow PM Modi will first pay his homage to the three memorials and he will be the first prime minister to pay his respects at all these three memorials. He will begin by going to the memorial of the Jam Sahab. There are schools which are associated with his memory. Those schools are performing there. They are reciting the Jam Sahab’s words to the children when he first met them…,” she said.

She announced that Prime Minister Modi will address the Indian community in Poland on the evening of the 21st.

“It will be one of those rousing meetings, the community here is really excited about it, as we all are,” said Mallick.

Advertisement She indicated that the Prime Minister will have extensive discussions with Polish leadership on August 22.

“He will meet with and talk in detail with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They will both then address the media, and Prime Minister Tusk will host a luncheon for Prime Minister Modi and his delegation…,” added the ambassador.

Mallick said India and Poland’s relationship is a developing one with some great moments of closeness and there have been moments of not-so-closeness.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "It is a developing relationship. It has certain strengths. It has all this wealth of history behind it, all these different ways in which our two peoples and our two governments… pic.twitter.com/rvh0ttYpPW

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024 Advertisement “It is a developing relationship. It has certain strengths. It has all this wealth of history behind it, all these different ways in which our two peoples and our two governments have known each other. There have been moments of great closeness. There have been moments of not-so-closeness. The visit today gives a great impetus. It will give a great boost to the relationship. I can see that fairly. It is a coming together of two democratic Republics, India and Poland,” said Mallick.

She emphasized that both nations are united by shared values and a common thread in their histories.

“We are united now by a very vibrant economic relationship. We are also united by the Indian community in the sense that many Indians have Polish spouses…I think that Prime Minister Modi will be struck by the warm-heartedness of the Polish people. They are open-minded and warm-hearted people who have a lot of affection for India and a lot of fellow feeling with us. I believe that our Prime Minister will not fail to be affected by that, to be impressed by that,” added the ambassador.

The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Monday that Prime Minister Modi will be traveling to Poland on August 21 and 22, followed by a trip to Ukraine on August 23.

“PM Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21st and 22nd August on the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as the PM of Indian is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations,” Tanmaya Lal, secretary (West), MEA, said in a briefing on Monday.

With inputs from agencies