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Neeta Bhushan, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1994 batch, has been appointed as India's new ambassador to the Republic of Poland.
She is currently serving as India's High Commissioner to New Zealand and will take up the assignment shortly. India and Poland share a long-standing friendly relationship, marked by high-level political contacts and vibrant economic engagement. Diplomatic relations were established in 1954, leading to the opening of the Indian Embassy in Warsaw in 1957. The two countries shared common ideological perceptions, based on their opposition to colonialism, imperialism and racism. During the Communist era, bilateral relations were close and cordial, with regular high-level visits (several VVIP visits from India - beginning with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955 - and four from Poland), coupled with planned trade and economic interactions by state trading organisations, underpinned by the rupee clearing arrangements. The relationship continued to remain close after Poland chose the democratic path in 1989. India and Poland transitioned to hard currency trading arrangements that were sustained by rising levels of trade as both economies grew in size and heft. A cordial political relationship has emerged in the current century, particularly after Poland joined the EU in 2004, and became India's key economic partner in Central Europe. Over the decades, India and Poland have had robust exchanges at the level of Heads of State and Government. High-level visits from India to Poland include: Presidents V V Giri (1970), Zail Singh (1986), S D Sharma (1996) and Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru (1955), Indira Gandhi (1967) and Morarji Desai (1979). From the Polish side, high level visits include: Presidents Alexander Kwasniewski (1998), Lech Walesa (1994 and 1998), Prime Ministers Cyrankieweicz (1957) and Jaroszewicz (1973), Polish United Workers' Party First Secretary Gierek (1977) and Gen Jaruszelski (1985). After democracy came to Poland in 1990, high-level contacts continued with the visits of Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski (1998) and Polish PM Leszek Miller (2003). The President of India, Pratibha Patil, visited Poland in April 2009, and Polish PM Donald Tusk paid a state visit to India in September 2010. (ANI)
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