Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, visited Poland from 21st to 22nd August 2024 at the invitation of Donald Tusk, PM of Poland.
He also visited Ukraine on 23rd August 2024 at the invitation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine.
Significance:
i.This marks the first visit by an Indian PM to Poland in the past 45 years since Morarji Desai in 1979.
ii.2024 also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between India and Poland.
iii.Modi’s visit to Ukraine marks the first visit of an Indian PM to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.
Highlights of PM Modi’s visit to Poland: India-Poland to Establish Strategic Partnership:
India and Poland have decided to upgrade the India-Poland bilateral relations as a “Strategic Partnership” to strengthen the cooperation across various sectors.
- To implement the Strategic Partnership, both India and Poland have agreed to a five-year Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028.
- The ‘Action Plan’ lists various priority areas for boosting engagement under different pillars including political and security cooperation, trade and investment, transport and connectivity, climate, energy, mining, science and technology and EU-India.
Political Dialogue and Security Cooperation:
i.The action plan covers Political Dialogue and Security Cooperation under which both nations will maintain regular contact with foreign ministers and ensure the holding of annual political dialogue at the level of the deputy minister in charge of foreign relations.
ii.Promoting contact between defence industries, modernising military equipment, and addressing outstanding issues will be encouraged.
- The two sides will conduct the next round of the Joint Working Group for defence cooperation will take place in 2024.
Trade and Investment
i.India and Poland agreed to explore mutually beneficial areas of cooperation in high-tech, agriculture, food tech, energy, climate, green technologies, infrastructure, smart cities, defence, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and mining sectors.
ii.Both nations also agreed to utilise the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC), which is set to be held by the end of 2024.
- The two sides will ensure to organize meetings of JCEC at least twice every five years, with the possibility of more frequent meetings, if necessary.
ii.Both sides will work towards addressing all issues to facilitate smooth trade and investment and will enhance cooperation in economic security through increased supply chain resilience and mitigating risks associated with trade dependencies.
Climate, Energy, Mining, Science and Technology
i.Both sides will focus on creating sustainable and environmentally friendly technological solutions for the circular economy and waste-water management.
- Cleaner energy approaches and Clean Coal Technologies to minimize environmental impact will be worked upon.
ii.The two countries will collaborate on advanced mining systems, high-tech machinery, pioneering safety standards, and increase exchanges and cooperation in mining-related industries.
iii.They will also work on concluding a cooperation agreement to promote safe, sustainable, and secure use of space and commercial space ecosystems and, human and robotic exploration.
iv.Poland recognises India’s ambition to join the International Energy Agency, the autonomous intergovernmental organisation based in Paris, France.
Transport and Connectivity:
i.Both leaders underlined the importance of connectivity between India and Poland and their respective regions. They also welcomed the commencement of direct flight connections between the two countries.
ii.They also underlined the importance of strengthening maritime cooperation and the patency of infrastructure corridors.
Cybersecurity:
Both India and Poland acknowledged the importance of digitalisation in economic and social developments and agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity.
Cultural Cooperation:
i.The two sides will strengthen exchanges between artists, language experts, scholars, and cultural institutions from both countries.
ii.They agreed to work on an agreement between the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and respective Indian agencies on teaching the Polish language at various universities in India.
iii.Tourism will also continue to be strengthened under the partnership.
Highlights of PM Modi’s visit to Ukraine
India & Ukraine signed 4 agreements for cooperation
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have formalised four key agreements focusing on agriculture, medicine, culture & humanitarian assistance.
List of documents signed during the Modi’s visit to Ukraine:
| Name of document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Agreement between the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Ukraine on cooperation in the fields of Agriculture and Food Industry. | This agreement aims to enhance collaboration in information exchange, joint scientific research, and agricultural research, along with the formation of joint working groups. |
| Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW), GoI and the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control on cooperation in the field of Medical Products regulation. | This agreement involves cooperation on medical products including regulation, and improvement of safety and quality aspects, primarily through information exchange, capacity building, workshops, training, and exchanges of visits. |
| MoU between the GoI and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding Indian Humanitarian Grant Assistance for the implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP). | Under this MoU, India will provide grant assistance for community development projects in Ukraine. The Government of Ukraine and India will together handle the projects under the HICDP for the benefit of the people of Ukraine. |
| Programme of Cultural Cooperation between the Ministry of Culture of the GoI and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine for the years 2024-2028. | This agreement aims to strengthen cultural cooperation between India and Ukraine including the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation in the fields of theatre, music, fine arts, literature, library and museum affairs, as well as protection and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. |
PM Modi Presents BHISHM Cubes to the Government of Ukraine
i.PM Modi presented four Bharat Health Initiatives for Sahyog Hita and Maitri (BHISHM Cubes) to the Government of Ukraine.
- These Cubes will help in the immediate treatment of the injured and contribute to saving many lives.
ii.Each BHISHM Cube consists of medicines and equipment for the basic treatment of all kinds of injuries and medical situations.
- It also includes surgical equipment for a basic Operation Room that can manage 10-15 basic surgeries per day.
iii.The Cube can handle about 200 cases of diverse nature in emergencies such as trauma, bleeding, burns, fractures, etc. and can also generate its power and oxygen in limited amounts.
About Ukraine:
President – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Capital – Kyiv
Currency– Ukrainian hryvnia
About Poland:
Prime Minister– Donald Tusk
Capital– Warsaw
Currency– Polish złoty
