“India is a country of great development potential. Poland pays close attention to changes taking place in India, and works to build strategic diplomatic relations between our countries,” Deputy Minister Katarzyna Kacperczyk said in Warsaw on 24 April during a ceremony summing up the 60th anniversary of establishing Polish-Indian diplomatic relations. The meeting also saw the presentation of Bene Merito honorary distinctions.

The principal objectives of the meeting were to summarize events marking 60 years since Poland and India established diplomatic relations, and bring together circles who are engaged in fostering Poland-India relations. The list of guests included scholars, businesspeople, opinion makers, and public administration officials. India’s Ambassador to Poland Ajay Bisaria was the event’s guest of honour.

Deputy Minister Katarzyna Kacperczyk thanked all those who had helped organize the anniversary celebrations, which included the Poland-India Energy Summit in New Delhi, and the Poland-India Economic Forum in Warsaw.

The Polish deputy chief of diplomacy stressed that India is a priority country for Poland in Asia. “Today, Poland is India’s top trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, and an ever stronger magnet for Indian investment,” she emphasized. According to Deputy Minister Kacperczyk, economic cooperation remains key to Polish-Indian relations. “So far our economic relations have focused on such traditional sectors as mining, energy and defence. But modern Poland has much more to offer. We can see cooperation potential in the fields of food processing, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Deputy Minister Kacperczyk underscored that 2014 was the first year Polish-Indian trade has passed the mark of USD 2 billion. In her view, Poland and India could forge even closer trade relations by implementing GoIndia, a government programme announced this April. It is meant to help Polish companies build up contacts in India, and step up promotional activities.

Deputy Minister Kacperczyk took this occasion to present, on behalf of the minister of foreign affairs, six Bene Merito honorary distinctions to people who have made outstanding contributions to developing Polish-Indian relations. The awards went to: Professor Krzysztof Maria Byrski, Andrzej Jan Chendyński, Helena Pyz, Professor Danuta Sylwia Stasik, Wiesław Stypuła, and Anna Tarajkowska.

The review meeting of 60 years of diplomatic relations was accompanied by an exhibition showcasing historical documents about the beginnings of Poland-India diplomatic relations. Discovered in the MFA archives, the materials comprised declassified cipher cables, dispatches, and memos.

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Diplomatic relations between India and Poland discussed in Warsaw