"Can see how much progress India made under PM Modi": Polish Secy of State

In an interview with ANI, Bartoszewski said, "I can see how much progress India has made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the last two terms...We want to have closer cooperation with India because we want India to play a role in world affairs."

The official said that Poland wants India to play a role in world affairs, as Warsaw would like to have closer cooperation with New Delhi.

"Now you are a superpower and you should play a role that fits a superpower on the world scale," he said.

Speaking on the relationship shared between India and Poland, he said that it is time to move to a higher level in terms of it, as he lauded India's growth as the 5th largest economy, describing it as "very important."

"The relationships have always been extremely good. We have never had any problems. Now, I think we should move to a higher level because India has developed into a phenomenal country, is the 5th largest economy and is very important. We have developed as well and we have more to offer to each other..." he said.

"We want India to play a more active role in global politics because, as the largest democracy, we want a country like India to share our values as to how the world should be organised. We want to partner with India...We are looking at potentially creating the India-Central Eastern European Forum to discuss amongst a few countries...There are a lot of topics..." the Polish Secretary of State added.

On the Russia-Ukraine war, Bartoszewski said that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine will end immediately if Russian President Vladimir Putin withdraws the forces that invaded Ukraine.

"Russia attacked Ukraine, which is a sovereign country as acknowledged by the UN, to reclaim a territory that used to be Russia's colony...That is not acceptable in the 21st century...It could end immediately if President Putin withdraws the forces that invaded Ukraine," he told ANI.

As he went on to speak on India's position on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Polish Secretary of State at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Poland said that there is a degree of understanding in India that this (the war) is not right.

He said, "...I understand that India does not want to take sides. But in this case, I talked to my Indian friends and colleagues and they perceive that it is against India's principles because it believes in international law, India believes in the sovereignty of independent states not being abused and India certainly doesn't want to see colonial aggression, which it is. So, there is a degree of understanding in India that this is not right and we have to stop that war."

India and Poland share warm and friendly bilateral ties.

During 'Operation Ganga', Poland helped in the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine after the crisis broke out between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.

Meanwhile, in December last year, PM Modi also congratulated Donald Tusk on becoming Poland's new Prime Minister.

Members of the Polish Parliament backed Donald Tusk to become Poland's prime minister after Mateusz Morawiecki lost a confidence vote in the country's parliament.

Donald Tusk has previously served two terms as Poland's PM since 2007 and then he took over as EU Council President for five years. (ANI)