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Indian PM to hold talks with Polish leaders in Warsaw on Thursday

22.08.2024 10:10
During a historic visit to Warsaw, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold talks with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and meet with President Andrzej Duda later on Thursday.
Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk (right) and Indias Narendra Modi (left) meet for talks in Warsaw on Thursday, August 22, 2024.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (right) and India's Narendra Modi (left) meet for talks in Warsaw on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Modi's agenda also features a meeting with Leszek Balcerowicz, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister, as well as engagements with representatives from Polish businesses active in India and kabaddi athletes, a traditional team sport predominantly popular in India.

Shortly after his arrival in Poland a day earlier, Modi met with the Indian community in Warsaw and visited memorials that emphasize the long-standing ties between the two countries.

He laid flowers at a monument honoring Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, known in Poland as the Good Maharaja, who provided refuge to Polish children escaping the horrors of World War II.

Modi also stopped by a plaque honoring the Indian principality of Kolhapur for its hospitality towards Poles who fled the Soviet Union with the Anders Army during the war.

He highlighted on social media that this aid was a profound act of humanity that preserved the dignity of Polish refugees.

Upon his arrival in Poland, Modi remarked on social media that his visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Warsaw and New Delhi, emphasizing that "India and Poland value democracy and democratic principles."

Following his stay in Warsaw, Narendra Modi will head to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

Zelensky had previously criticized Modi for his visit to Moscow, where the Indian leader received an award from Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the Russian bombing of a children's hospital in Kyiv.

'Man of the people'

Modi has risen to prominence for his image as a "man of the people" and his assertive leadership, though his role in India's 2002 anti-Muslim riots remains a source of controversy.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 2024 (illustrative photo)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: D.Solanki/PAP/EPA)

On the global front, Modi advocates for peace, especially in Ukraine, while his right-wing BJP party prioritizes economic growth and anti-corruption efforts, despite facing opposition from various minority groups within India.

A vegetarian, a yogi, and an abstainer from alcohol, Modi has also achieved pop culture icon status in India, particularly after appearing on British adventurer Bear Grylls' survival show in 2019, becoming the second world leader after Barack Obama to feature on the program.

(mp/gs)

Source: IAR/X/@narendramodi/@BearGryll