India, Poland have no conflict of interest, building friendship on trust, shared values: Polish PM Tusk

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday said that India and Poland have "no conflict of interest" and both nations are building their friendship based on trust, shared values and ideas.

While addressing a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday, PM Tusk described his talks with the Indian leader as "fruitful and important." He stated that Poland is inspired by India's tradition and history.

"We have just completed a very important and fruitful discussion with Prime Minister Modi concerning how Poland and India can develop and strengthen their strategic partnership. The decision to establish that partnership was made together during Prime Minister Modi's visit in Warsaw back in August 2024. Today, with the Prime Minister, we summarised its very first results, and we emphasised the definition of the priorities for the years to come in terms of our cooperation," he said.

"Our discussions are very successful, not only because Poland and India are countries that share a lot, but we are divided by nothing, maybe by geographic distance, and the synergies between Poland and India are quite simple. We have no conflicts of interest. We have no historical issues that divide us. We are building our friendship based on trust, shared values and ideas, such as the idea of non-violence," he added.

Tusk said that he is "proud" to call PM Modi his "friend" and expressed appreciation for the role played by India in the global context, describing it as a "sign of hope in the times of destabilisation, uncertainty, political uncertainty and instability."

"The great Polish revolution of solidarity was based on action without violence, and we were very much inspired by your tradition and your history," he said.

Praising PM Modi, the visiting Prime Minister said, "We value and appreciate the global role that you, the Prime Minister, play in the global context, and this is a sign of hope in the times of destabilisation, uncertainty, political uncertainty and instability. Somebody such as you, the Prime Minister, of such a powerful country such as India, is a beacon of hope for all of us, and I am very, very proud, truly proud, that I can call myself your friend, Mr Prime Minister."

Highlighting the economic growth of India and Poland, Donald Tusk said, "The last 35 years has been an unprecedented economic success and dynamic growth of all of our countries. Let me put it straightforwardly and without any doubts and hesitations. The world looks up to us with envy, to you, how you develop as India and to the development of Poland."

"We will be discussing it with our partners, sitting side by side, shoulder to shoulder, during G20 summits, and I do appreciate and thank you very much for the offer of such close cooperation and partnership in the G20 format. And also I am very sure that Poland and India will support one another in those forums to the benefit of both our countries and to the benefit of the world," he added.

Donald Tusk recalled how Poland took care of Indian students when conflict erupted in Ukraine and described it as "solidarity, trust and friendship" in practice.

"Mr Prime Minister mentioned something that is still very vivid in our memories. Yes, the good Maharaja. He remained in our hearts, in our memory, in the national memory, not only as a symbol, because it is not about symbols only. We are talking about very practical assistance that required a lot of devotion, and you have mentioned that in the very critical time of Russia's attack on Ukraine, we took care of your students who stayed in Ukraine back then, and I was very proud to tell you, to update you on our activities, because this is solidarity, trust and friendship in practice, and I am sure that we will never let you down and that you will never let us down."

--IANS

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