Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to Poland — a first for an Indian Prime Minister in more than four decades. The last Prime Minister to visit Poland was Morarji Desai in 1979.

Joking that the “first visit” had been one of the biggest headlines back home, he told a gathering of expat Indians that his recent visit to Austria has been another first in four decades. “It is my good fortune to bring about many firsts,” he added to laughter and cheers.

This string of firsts, he indicated, was due to a 180 degree shift in foreign policy.

“For decades, India’s policy was to maintain distance from all countries,” PM Modi said. “The situation has now changed… Today, India’s policy is to maintain close ties with all countries. Today’s India wants to connect with everyone,” he added, in a subtle jab at the Non-Aligned Movement of the 1970s under then Congress government.

“Today’s India is with everyone and thinks about everyone’s benefit. Today the world respects India as Vishwa Bandhu,” he added.

Over the last years, PM Modi has been to several nations — the one that made the biggest headlines being Israel. It acknowledged the shift in the ties between the two nations that was already in progress — from the traditional military-security paradigm to economic and developmental issues.

The current visit to Poland underscores India’s growing participation in matters involving Europe. In both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war on Hamas, PM Modi has played the role of a peacemaker. He is expected to visit Ukraine today.

Ahead of his departure, PM Modi said his visit marks 70 years of diplomatic relations with Poland, which is now also a “key economic partner in Central Europe”.

“Our bilateral trade is substantial. And it’s of the order of US$6 billion, which makes Poland India’s largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Indian investments in Poland are estimated at around US$3 billion. And the Polish investments into India are around US$1 billion,” the foreign ministry has said.

“This scene is extraordinary. Ever since I landed here, you have not got tired, you have come here from different parts of Poland, and you speak a different language but you are connected with the spirit of Indianness.  I thank you for the grand welcome,” the Prime Minister said.
“Since last week, the Indian media is only talking about you. There is also a headline that it’s the first time in 45 years that an Indian PM is visiting Poland. A lot of good things are there in my fate. I visited Austria recently. There too, an Indian PM was visiting after four decades. Situations have changed now. For decades, India’s policy was to maintain distance from all countries. Today, India’s policy is to maintain close ties with all countries,” he said.
“For India, it’s not about geopolitics, it’s about values. This is our legacy that fills every Indian with pride. Poland has been witness to India’s ‘Sanatan bhava’. During World War II when Poland was going through a tough time and was seeking refuge, Jam Saheb came forward. He constructed a special camp for Polish women and children,” Prime Minister Modi said.
“Two decades ago, when an earthquake hit Gujarat, Jamnagar was affected badly. Poland was among the first countries to extend help,” he added.
“Today, Indians are known for their efforts, excellence and empathy. Wherever we go, we are seen putting in a lot of effort. In the whole world, we are known for excellence, be it it sector or our doctors, they are known for excellence. We are known for empathy as well, we  are the first to extend help to countries going through crises.”
“India is also the biggest endorser of peace. This is not an era of war. It’s the time to unite against the forces that pose a danger to humankind. This is why India stresses diplomacy and dialogue/ The way you helped Indian students stuck in Poland (during the Russia-Ukraine War), we saw that. You arranged langars, you opened your doors, Polish government removed visa requirements for our Indian students,” he said.
“We sent medicines and vaccines to 150 countries. Whenever there is a natural disaster anywhere, the country’s mantra is humanity first, if there is a war, India says humanity first. India always comes forward as first responder,” he said.
“There are many similarities between Indian and Polish societies. One of them is democracy. Indians have a lot of faith in it. We have seen that in Indian elections. The Lok Sabha elections were the biggest in the history of polls. The level of efficiency is a big strength of Indians,” the Prime Minister said.
“We are connected through the game of Kabaddi as well. This game reached Poland through India and they took it to great heights. Poland is going to host the Kabaddi championship for the first time. I want to wish good luck to their team,” the Prime Minister said in his address.
“We have taken financial inclusion to the next level. We opened 500 million Jan Dhan Bank accounts. In the last decade, India’s broadband users have increased from 60 million to 940 million. If we combine the US and UK populations, the broadband users will come up to that.”