External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held talks with Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in New Delhi, during which he underlined India’s long-standing concerns over cross-border terrorism and urged Warsaw to adopt a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Welcoming Sikorski and his delegation, Jaishankar said the meeting was taking place at a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical churn, making dialogue between nations in different regions both relevant and necessary. He noted that while India-Poland relations had progressed steadily over the years, they required continuous engagement to realise their full potential.
The External Affairs Minister recalled that bilateral ties were elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Poland in August 2024. He said discussions during the current visit would focus on reviewing the Action Plan 2024–28, which outlines cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, defence and security, clean technologies, and digital innovation.
Highlighting economic ties, Jaishankar said Poland is among India’s largest trading partners in Central Europe, with bilateral trade touching nearly USD 7 billion, a growth of about 200 per cent over the past decade. Indian investments in Poland have crossed USD 3 billion, generating significant employment opportunities for the local population.
The minister also emphasised the importance of strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties, referring to the historical legacy of the ‘Dobry Maharaj’ and the continued popularity of Indology and yoga in Poland.
On global issues, Jaishankar said he had earlier shared India’s views with Sikorski on the Ukraine conflict and reiterated that the selective targeting of India on international platforms was unfair.
"I have also repeatedly underlined that the selective targeting of India is both unfair and unjustified. I do so again today. Deputy Prime Minister, you are no stranger to our region and are more than familiar with the long-standing challenges of cross-border terrorism. I hope at this meeting to discuss some of your recent travels to the region. Poland should display zero tolerance for terrorism and not help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood," EAM said.
