Warsaw: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August wrapped up his historic visit to Poland -- the first ever by a top Indian leader in 45 years after ex-PM Morarji Desai’s visit in 1979 -- after holding meetings with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, and President Andrzej Sebastian Duda, while also visiting prominent sites here that are reminiscent of the historic bonding between the two countries.

PM Modi described his visit to Poland as a special one, and called the central European nation India’s “valued friend”. “My Poland visit has been special. It is after decades that an Indian PM set foot on Polish soil. This visit gave an opportunity to deepen cooperation with a valued friend. We look forward to closer business and cultural connection with Poland. Our friendship can certainly contribute to a better planet. I thank the Polish people and Government for their warmth,” PM Modi wrote on X.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that PM Modi’s visit to Poland set a new milestone in the bilateral ties. “PM Modi concludes a productive visit to Poland, setting a new milestone in bilateral relations. This high-level Prime Ministerial visit after four decades will widen and deepen India-Poland relations,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

Earlier, addressing the media after holding talks with his Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the Federal Chancellery, PM Modi highlighted that it was a significant day for India-Poland relations as the last visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Poland took place in 1979. Tusk, on the other hand, termed it as a “great privilege” to host PM Modi on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“This is a sufficient illustration of the significance of this visit and your presence today. This is undoubtedly proof of the increasingly good relations between our countries, of the significance for the entire region, I will not exaggerate if I say for the entire world between India and Poland,” said the Polish PM.

PM Modi also invited companies from Poland to join the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative as both countries decided to transform the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership during his landmark Warsaw visit.