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![]() Poland | ![]() India |
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Diplomatic mission | |
Embassy of the Republic of Poland, New Delhi | Embassy of India, Warsaw |
Envoy | |
Chargé d’affaires Sebastian Domżalski | Ambassador Nagma Mallick |
Indo-Polish relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of India. Historically, relations have generally been friendly, characterised by understanding and cooperation on an international front.
During the 16th century Renaissance and the Age of Discovery period in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, a small number of Poland's nobility, statesmen, merchants and writers visited India and fostered the abiding interest of the Polish people in the civilization, philosophy, spiritual traditions, art and culture of India. [1] [2] One of the first diplomatic dignitaries and travellers during this period to make Polish contact with India—then under the rule of the Mughal Empire, was the Polish nobleman and statesman Paweł Palczowski who was a long serving royal courtier to King Sigismund III Vasa and from the distinguished senior noble Saszowski family. [1] [2] [3] [4] Others from this period include Erazm Kretkowski a Polish diplomatic representative for King Sigismund II Augustus in the Ottoman Empire in 1538 and royal castellan of Brześć Kujawski and Gniezno, and Krzysztof Pawłowski a Polish seafarer and diarist who provided a description of India preserved in Polish, recorded in a letter dated 1569 to an unknown person; [1] [2] Pawłowski who came to India in 1569, left a rudimentary description of the sea route from Gdańsk via Portugal (Lisbon) to India (Goa) in the form of a comprehensive letter-relation to a friend in Kraków, in which described the customs of 'dark' people. A consequence of these voyages soon provided Indian echoes in Polish literature. [1]
As early as 1611, the Polish Catholic priest, translator and poet, Stanislaw Grochowski (1542-1612), published a book titled Cudowne wiersze z indyjskiego jezyka (Wonderful Verses from the Indian Language). [1] It was a translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which had first been translated from Sanskrit into Medieval Latin by the Italian poet and Jesuit missionary Francisco Benci (1542-1594), who had stayed in India and later lectured at the Jesuit college in Pułtusk, Poland, where Stanislaw Grochowski was a professor. [1]
During the 19th century, several Sanskrit classics were translated into Polish and a 'History of Ancient India' in Polish was one of the first of its kind to be published in Europe. [1] A Chair of Sanskrit was set up at the Jagiellonian University of Kraków in 1893. Studies and research in Indian languages and literature had developed at the Universities of Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław and Poznań.
A consulate of Poland in Mumbai, an honorary consulate in Kolkata and a consular agency in Amritsar were established in 1933, 1935 and 1936, respectively, and the consulate in Mumbai was elevated to a consulate-general in 1939. [5]
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were known to be vocal supporters of Poland's struggle against the Invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the beginning of World War II. [6] [7] [8] Both Indian intelligentsia and Indian military officials were vocal supporters of Polish autonomy and freedom when Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland in September 1939. Many Polish citizens were given refuge in India by Indian maharajas. [6] [9] [10] One of the refugees was the accomplished Polish visual artist Stefan Norblin whom the Maharaja of Jodhpur commissioned to decorate the Umaid Bhawan Palace with a series of paintings, decorations and furniture designs. They were rediscovered in the 1990s. [6] [11] Whilst staying in India during World War II, Norblin also painted portraits of the local aristocracy and decorated their residences. [11]
Indian prisoners of war were held by the Germans alike Polish and other Allied POWs in the Stalag XX-B and Stalag XXI-B POW camps located in Malbork and Tur, respectively. [12] [13]
Poles and Indians were part of the large Allied coalition in the major battles of Tobruk (1941) and Monte Cassino (1944). [14] [15]
During the Second World War Occupation of Poland by the Soviet Union in the east and the German Reich in the west, the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar State, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar, extended hospitality and sanctuary to more than 640 Polish displaced persons, the majority were orphaned children and women, out of some 5,000 refugees sent to India from Soviet deportation, and despite India itself suffering from a severe backdrop of drought and famine at that time. [16] [17] [18] After their ship and plight was turned away by every country approached and when the British Crown governor in Mumbai (Bombay) too refused them entry, the Maharaja Jam Sahib, frustrated by the lack of empathy and unwillingness of the British government to act, ordered the ship to dock at Rozi port in his province. [16] [17] The displaced persons, lived in camps in several places in western India, including Balachadi (near Jamnagar), Valivade (near Kolhapur) and Panchgani. [16] [17] Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji's unparalleled act of generosity, saw him become patron of the first public school complex founded in Poland after the Second World War, located in the capital of Warsaw, and named Jam Saheba Digvijay Sinhji in his honour. [16] [17] [19] In 2012, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, honoured the 50th anniversary of his death, posthumously awarding the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, and the Warsaw City Council named one of its city park squares in Ochota district after him - the 'Square of the Good Maharaja' (Skwer Dobrego Maharadży). [18] [20]
During the post-war period, when Poland became the Polish People's Republic under the Soviet Occupation Forces and Soviet-backed communist regime, Poland, then a state in the Eastern Bloc, was not a free agent to choose its destiny. [9] This relaxed after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. The international situation became less tense, and the new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev took a liking to India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. [9] In 1954, Poland and India formally agreed to establish resident diplomatic missions, and the Indian Embassy in Warsaw was opened in 1957, shortly after the 1956 Polish October revolution that marked a change in the politics of Poland. [9] During the Cold War period, both Warsaw and New Delhi had close ties with the Soviet Union and this made them natural friends. On 25 January 1977 an agreement on the operation of air services between the two countries was signed in New Delhi. [21]
One of the political emigrants who avoided returning to communist Poland was the renowned architect Maciej Nowicki. While he was a professor at the University of North Carolina, he was entrusted with designing the modern capital of Punjab. His plans were groundbreaking and could constitute a new quality in world urban planning. However, his project was never realized due to his untimely death in a plane crash on his way back from India to the United States on 31 August 1950. Nowicki was only 40 at the time. The work on the plan of Chandigarh was consequently entrusted to the world-renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. [22]
Following the fall of Communism in Poland, both countries focused on improving ties with the European Community and the United States. Even after the events of 1989, when Poland transitioned to the modern democratic Republic of Poland, relations with India have maintained continuity and have remained on an even keel reflecting relations with India were not an adjunct of the Cold War and are based on sound principles. Contacts between the Indian and Polish Parliaments were established after the collapse of Communism in 1989. A Polish parliamentary delegation led by the Marshal of the Sejm, had visited India in December 1992. A Polish-Indian Parliamentary Group had been set up during the term of the last Parliament which held office from 1996 to 2001. Speaker of Lok Sabha, Manohar Joshi led a multi-party Parliamentary delegation to Poland from 22 to 26 May 2002. Also, the Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Jozef Oleksy, led a Polish parliamentary delegation to India from 9–11 December 2004. In April 2009, Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited Poland. [6] In September 2010, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited India and met with Indian politicians and businessmen.
In May 2021, Poland donated over 1.5 tons of medical equipment including oxygen concentrators to India in response to a sharp rise of COVID-19 infections in India. [23]
On 22 August 2024, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official state visit to Warsaw, Poland. The visit was described as "historic" as it marked the first time in 45 years since the last state visit by an Indian PM to Poland. The Indian PM held talks with the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, which focused on deepening the bilateral political, economic and security ties between the two countries. [24] During the meeting, the leaders took the decision to elevate the Polish-Indian relations to the level of a "strategic partnership". [25] The talks also included strengthening the defence industry collaboration between India and Poland as well as discussing the ongoing War in Ukraine. [26]
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown about eleven times from 1992 to 2008. [6] Bilateral trade, which totaled US$675.73 million (approximately ₹3,825 crores) and US$861.78 million (approximately ₹4,873 crores) in 2006 and 2007 respectively, crossed US$1 billion (approximately ₹5,700 crores) in 2008 with US$1274.77 million [6] (approximately ₹7,000 crores). During 2005, major Indian companies signed several agreements on investments that are expected to create more than 3,500 new jobs in Poland. [27] India's major exports to Poland include Tea, Coffee, Spices, Textiles, Pharmaceuticals, machinery and instruments, auto parts and surgical items. India's imports from Poland include machinery except electric and electronic appliances, artificial resins, plastic material, non-ferrous metals and machine tools. [28] Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has sent several delegations to Poland to explore economic opportunities in various sectors. [28] Indian companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro Technologies, ZenSar and Videocon have already set up their bases in Poland. [29] The 'Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry'(IPCCI) was formed in 2008 under the astute leadership of Mr Jowahar Jyothi Singh(JJ Singh) to protect and represent the interests within the range of economic activity and to promote economic relations between India and Poland. [29] Direct nonstop flights provided by LOT Polish Airlines between Warsaw Chopin Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport started September 12, 2019. [30]
Both countries have a long-standing history of cooperation in science and technology. The first Indo-Polish Agreement on this cooperation was signed in March 1974; subsequently, a new agreement with more focus Programmes of Cooperation (POC) in science and technology were signed between the two countries from time to time. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) have ongoing scientific exchange programs with the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS). [6]
India's defence relations with Poland have grown from military cooperation to comprehensive defence cooperation that includes courses, training for UN peacekeeping operations, and exchange of observers during army exercises. [31] India and Poland signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation in February 2003 during the visit of the Prime Minister of Poland Leszek Miller to India. India awarded contracts worth US$600 million (₹3.5 thousand-crores) to Poland for modernisation of tanks and the acquisition of air defence missiles. The T-72M1 with 800 horsepower engines were upgraded with 1000 hp engines and re-equipped with modern fire control systems (DRAWA-T ) and thermal imaging equipment. Both India and Poland are considering privatising their defence industries and see good prospects for mutual investments. [32] Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor visited Warsaw in March 2008 followed by Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Ryszard Schnepf in June the same year. [33] India also acquired 625 assault parachutes from the Polish company Air-Pol with automatic devices ensuring their reliable opening, with a total value of US$1.5 million. India's growing defence buy-outs from Poland has disappointed Russia which had considered India a safe market for its military hardware. [34] Poland also delivered a batch of 80 WZT-3 armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs) to the Indian Army in 2001 at the Kolar Gold Fields facility in Karnataka and the remaining batch in 2004. The final batch of 40 WZT-3 ARVs were assembled in India from kits supplied from Poland. [35]
Official relations between Poland and the United States on a diplomatic level were initiated in 1919 after Poland had established itself as a republic after 123 years of being under foreign rule from the Partitions of Poland. However, ties with the United States date back to the 17th century, when the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of Europe's largest powers, and many Poles immigrated to the Thirteen Colonies. During the American Revolutionary War, the Polish military commanders Tadeusz Kościuszko and Casimir Pułaski contributed greatly to the Patriot cause, with Kościuszko becoming a national hero in America. Since 1989, Polish–American relations have been strong and Poland is one of the chief European allies of the United States, being part of both NATO and the European Union. There is a strong cultural appreciation between the two nations (Polonophilia). According to the US Department of State, Poland remains a "stalwart ally" and "one of strongest Continental partners in fostering security and prosperity, throughout Europe and the world." Poland was also one of four participating countries in the American-led Iraq War coalition in 2003.
Greek-Polish relations are relations between Greece and Poland. Both countries are full members of NATO, the European Union, Three Seas Initiative, OECD, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization. There are circa 4,000 people of Greek descent living in Poland, and over 20,000 people of Polish descent living in Greece. Greece has given full support to Poland's membership in the European Union and NATO.
Poland–Ukraine relations revived on an international basis soon after Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Various controversies from the shared history of the two countries' peoples occasionally resurface in Polish–Ukrainian relations, but they tend not to have a major influence on the bilateral relations of Poland and Ukraine.
Canada–Poland relations are foreign relations between Canada and Poland. Both countries are full members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the World Trade Organization.
Polish–Turkish relations are the foreign relations between Poland and Turkey. Both countries are full members of NATO, OECD, OSCE, the Union for the Mediterranean, the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organisation. Poland is a member of the European Union, Turkey is not a member.
Polish–Romanian relations are foreign relations between Poland and Romania.
Austria–Poland relations are foreign relations between Austria and Poland. The two nations have a very long historical relationship dating back several centuries, which has been complicated throughout most of their history.
Pakistan–Poland relations are the bilateral relations between Poland and Pakistan, which date back to the 1940s. After the Independence of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime minister of Pakistan, made the first diplomatic approaches to the People's Republic of Poland and finally, on December 17, 1962, Pakistan became one of the first Muslim countries to establish relations with then-communist government of Poland.
Poland–Spain relations are cultural and political relations between Poland and Spain. Both nations are members of NATO, the European Union, OECD, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. Spain has given full support to Poland's membership in the European Union and NATO.
Philippines–Poland relations are the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Poland. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on September 22, 1973, but contact between the two peoples dates back to the seventeenth century.
Diplomatic relations exist between Australia and Poland. Over 170,000 Australian citizens are of Polish descent. Both nations are members of the Australia Group and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Kazakhstan–Poland relations refer to bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Poland. Relations focus on growing trade and political cooperation. Both countries are members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, World Trade Organization and United Nations.
Japan–Poland relations refers to the bilateral foreign relations between Japan and Poland. Both nations enjoy historically friendly relations, embracing close cooperation and mutual assistance in times of need. Both are members of the OECD, World Trade Organization and United Nations.
Iran–Poland relations are historical and bilateral relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Poland. Both nations are members of the United Nations.
Poland–Sweden relations are historical and bilateral relations between Poland and Sweden. Both countries are separated by the Baltic Sea and have had a very long historical contact. They have also survived several conflicts between the two countries as well. At the beginning of the 20th century, Poland and Sweden enjoyed a close relationship, which was interrupted by the Soviet and German invasion of Poland, which started World War II. After the war, both re-established relations and Sweden has become the largest economic contributor for Poland among the Nordic countries. Both Poland and Sweden are members of the EU, NATO, OECD, OSCE, Council of the Baltic Sea States, HELCOM, Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization. There are over 90,000 Poles in Sweden and residents from both countries visit each other frequently. Sweden has given full support to Poland's membership of the European Union. Poland strongly supported Sweden's NATO membership.
Poland–South Africa relations are the bilateral relations between Poland and South Africa. Both nations are members of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Algeria and Poland are members of the Union for the Mediterranean and the United Nations. Both nations established diplomatic relations in 1962.
Poland–Tanzania relations are the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Poland and the United Republic of Tanzania. Both nations are members of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Norway–Poland relations are the diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Poland. Both nations enjoy friendly relations, the importance of which centers on mutual historical relations and the fact that more than 100,000 Polish citizens live in Norway on a permanent basis, Poles make up 2.10% of the Norwegian population. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe, Council of the Baltic Sea States, NATO, OECD, OSCE, United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Morocco–Poland relations are bilateral relations between Morocco and Poland. Both nations are full members of the World Trade Organization, the Union for the Mediterranean and the United Nations.