At the invitation of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri A.B. Vajpayee, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, H.E. Mr. Leszek Miller will pay a State Visit to India from 15-18 February 2003. He will be accompanied by Mrs. Alexandra Miller and a high-level delegation comprising members of the Polish Government dealing with foreign economic relations, defence, science & technology, internal affairs and foreign relations, among others. Several leading representatives of Polish business and mass media will also accompany the Prime Minister of Poland. 

During this visit, Prime Minister Miller will have detailed discussions with Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on the entire range of bilateral relations, and on important regional and international issues of mutual interest. Mr. Miller will also call on the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Vice President of India. Some senior Ministers and Cabinet Ministers will call on the Prime Minister of Poland. Mr. Miller will attend a meeting of leading Indian and Polish business representatives organised jointly by the CII and FICCI. The Prime Minister and his delegation will also visit Agra and Bangalore. In Bangalore, he will meet the Governor of Karnataka who will host a lunch in honour of the Prime Minister of Poland. Mr. Miller will also pay a visit to some key industrial and technological establishments there. 

The visit will be the first by a Polish Prime Minister to India after Poland’s transition to a multi-party democracy in the early 1990s. It is also significant as it comes at a time when Poland is on the threshold of joining the European Union and when the diplomatic relations between India and Poland are to enter their Golden Jubilee year. 

India and Poland have had a regular exchange of Ministerial and senior official level visits. Besides, interaction between the judiciary and other important democratic institutions of the two countries has also taken place.

Both the countries share warm, deep-rooted and traditionally friendly relations characterised by mutual understanding and cooperation in several areas. India and Poland have a close identity of views on political issues and fully appreciate each other’s interests and concerns. 

Special focus during the visit of the Prime Minister of Poland will be on further developing bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Both sides will review the progress of bilateral relations in areas such as science and technology, defence and culture. Bilateral agreements in the fields of combating organized crime and international terrorism, extradition and defence cooperation, and a cultural exchange programme are expected to be signed during the visit.

Documents signed on 17 February 2003 between the Republic of India and the Republic of Poland, February 17, 2003 

The following documents signed on 17 February 2003, after the talks between two Prime Ministers: 

(i) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Poland on Co-operation in Combating Organised Crime and International Terrorism 

The Agreement aims at enhancing the cooperation of the two countries in combating organized crime and international terrorism. It provides for exchange of documentation, information and experience on the activities of persons indulging in organized crime and terrorism, especially those engaging in offences against life and health; illegal production, distribution, and trade in narcotic and psychotropic substances trafficking in persons and illicit trade in arms, thefts of radioactive and nuclear substances as well as their illegal trade; counterfeiting and forgeries of money; money laundering, as well as the offences relating to funding of international terrorism.

The Agreement also provides for extending operational co-operation between respective authorities of the two countries

The Agreement will enter into force thirty days after exchanging notes confirming the approval and can remain valid for unlimited time.

(ii) Extradition Treaty between the Republic of India and the Republic of Poland

The Treaty will facilitate extradition of any person who is wanted for prosecution for, or is convicted of an extraditable offence committed within the territory of the Requesting State, and is found within the territory of the Requested State. An extradition offence for the purposes will be an act which under the laws of each Contracting State is punishable by a term of imprisonment for a period of at least one year. Political offences of certain categories, including murder or harm to the person of the Head of State or the Head of Government, other murders and grievous bodily harms, hostage taking, etc. will attract the provisions of the Treaty. 

The Treaty also provides for provisional arrest in urgent cases. It also provides for seizure of the property of the person, whose extradition is sought, by the Requested State. 

The treaty will enter into force on the date of exchange of Instruments of Ratification and can be terminated at six month’s notice by one of the Contracting Parties. 

(iii) Agreement between the Republic of India and the Republic of Poland on Cooperation in the Field of Defence.

The Agreement provides a broad framework of cooperation in the defence sphere between India and Poland. It specifically identifies the following areas for cooperation: exchange of experience in the field of military planning and functioning of armed forces; military education and training of military personnel; maintaining peace and fighting terrorism; organization of armed forces, their logistic support, personnel management and administration; exchange of information; military science and research; supply and modernization of armament and military equipment; military medicine and legal issues in the field of defence. 

The Agreement is concluded for a five-year period and is renewable thereafter.

SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE: I am happy to welcome the Prime Minister of Poland and his Delegation. We are happy that he has chosen to visit India on his first visit to Asia.
Our discussions today have been useful and productive. We covered bilateral relations paying special attention to further expansion of our trade and economic cooperation further. We also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Poland has also been our reliable partner for defence cooperation. In our programme of defence modernization this cooperation is important. The agreement we have signed is testimony of this fact. The agreements we have just concluded will further the cooperation between our two countries on combating terrorism and organized crime.

Poland will take a historic step towards integrating into Europe when it joins the European Union next year. We look forward to a qualitatively new dimension in our friendship with Poland within the framework of the European Union.
Thank you.

H.E. LESZEK MILLER: Prime Minister; Ladies and Gentlemen:
I wish to express my great satisfaction at the possibility to pay a visit to India. I wish to thank the Prime Minister for the invitation, which enables the intensification of our mutual relations.

Next year, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. It will be a good opportunity to evaluate the road we have covered together. But, first of all, it will be an occasion to reflect upon our common future.

The last Polish Prime Minister visited India eighteen years ago. It is definitely too much. And I am convinced that the visits of Heads of Government, Presidents and Ministers will be more frequent and they will be useful for the shaping of our partnership.
On the first of May next year Poland will become a member of European Union. It is a great opportunity for my country. But it is also a chance to focus our attention on the other non-European parts of the world.

We would like to cooperate more intensely with the Asian continents. One cannot cooperate with Asia and forget India because India takes a special position contributing to the stabilization of the situation in this region.

We talked with the Prime Minister and members of the Indian Government about economic cooperation. There are vast reserves here. Our economic turnover is not really very high. It has not exceeded 250 million US Dollars. Poland has a negative trading balance.

All of this makes us think about the necessity to revitalize our economic and trading cooperation, especially in many areas where Indian technologies are very advanced. For example, biotechnology or IT.

The group of Polish businessmen that is accompanying me today held very intensive talks with their Indian partners. I do hope that they will bring fruit in the future in the form of mutually beneficial agreements.

Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of the Polish Delegation I wish to thank you very much for the great hospitality extended to us. I wish to thank you for the conditions in which we are meeting here, for the atmosphere of kindness and friendship. I wish to assure you of the respect of Poles to India and also I wish to assure you help for the creation of good and great future.

QUESTION (POLISH MEDIA): I have a question to both Prime Ministers. This is a question about what the Governments of these two countries are going to do in order to make sure that the cooperation between India, and Poland returns to the former level from over a dozen years ago. Are you going to introduce some incentives for businessmen for example, and encourage investment?

SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE: Today the meeting with businessmen went on very well. A number of suggestions were put forward. There is wide scope for cooperation in the field of trade and commerce. We have decided to appoint a Joint Commission, which will be examining various possibilities and initiatives. These are the encouragements that we have offered.

H.E. LESZEK MILLER: The accession of Poland to the European Union will influence on increasing the attractiveness of our country for foreign investors. Cooperation with Poland will simply mean cooperation with the whole of European Union. We are also trying to change the legislation in Poland to make it more friendly for investors.

Last year the Polish Parliament adopted a special Act on supporting investment. We will continue to do everything possible to make better conditions for investors. Soon we are going to appoint a Special Ombudsman under Ministry of Economic, Labour and Social Policy. This person will be sort of a guide for investors. And he will be proposing also different solutions including legislative solutions so that the Polish law could create better and better conditions for investing.

In the course of today’s meetings with the Indian businessmen, it was a pleasure for me to know of the great interest of these people in our country. Also there was a great interest to create joint ventures. It is very promising for our economic cooperation.

QUESTION (INDIAN MEDIA): My question is addressed to the Prime Minister of Poland.

India has already signed one Extradition Treaty with the European Union. You are also going to become a member of that Union. So, what is the significance of having a separate extradition treaty with India?

H.E. LESZEK MILLER: We are still not a member of the EU, and problems on extradition do exist. The negotiations on this earlier took quite sometime. So we came to the conclusion that the visit of Polish Delegation to India would be a good moment to sign such an agreement. 

Address to the nation by the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on the eve of Independence Day.

August 14, 2002

UNITY OF MINDS
My dear citizens of India,

On the eve of the 55th anniversary of our Independence, I have great pleasure in offering you my best wishes for your well-being and happiness. My salutations to all of you both in India and abroad.

May I extend a special word of gratitude to the men of our defence who guard our frontiers on the land, on the sea and in the air and paramilitary forces. May I also convey my special appreciation to our farmers who toil on the fields, technicians who keep the wheels of our industry moving, teachers who create knowledge products to the society and doctors, engineers, scientists, technologists and other professionals and administrators who are the prime movers of national development. May I wish the youth of India whose purposeful hard work with sweat will be a major transforming force for prosperous India.

I met some of the freedom fighters a few days ago at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Each and every one of them was the live force for our freedom movement. On this day, I salute all men and women of India who fought for our freedom and sacrificed their lives to achieve our Independence. Seeding a great vision and an indomitable spirit to achieve India’s freedom took place around 1857. For 90 years, there were a number of intensive struggles for freedom. Many of our people and leaders were in jail and their sufferings got transformed into freedom movement, with national ethos under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. I have tried to capture the essence of the freedom movement. Two aspects have come out: as a result of supreme sacrifices and dedicated and focused efforts, we got our Independence. The second aspect is that the vision driven movement itself created many leaders in different spheres of politics, economics, industry, science, arts and culture.

After Independence, India has made significant achievements in agriculture and food production, energy, healthcare, education and various fields of science and technology. Particularly we have made our mark in the international arena in the fields of pharmaceuticals, information technology, mass media and communication, space, defence and nuclear science.

Similar to the first vision, which created a movement to achieve freedom with unity of minds of our people and the unity of purpose in actions, we need a second vision, which will integrate people from all walks of our society towards a common purpose. The second vision of our nation is to transform it from the present developing status to a developed nation by integrated actions simultaneously in the areas of agriculture and food processing, education and healthcare, infrastructure development including power, information and communication technologies, and critical technologies. This greater vision will aim to alleviate poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. When the minds of the people of our country are unified and fused towards this vision, the dormant potential will manifest as a mammoth power leading to a happy and prosperous life of a billion people. This vision of the nation will also remove the conflicts arising out of differences and small thinking.

Dear citizens, I would like to reiterate that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. It is not an international issue. India is ready for bilateral dialogue once the cross border terrorism is brought to a complete end. Normal election process is on in Jammu and Kashmir. It is essential to ensure its successful completion and dawn of peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

We also have many challenges in front of us. We have to find a solution to the repeated droughts and floods; we have to eradicate communal and other divisive clashes sprouting in certain parts and remove the pains of our people whether it is in Jammu and Kashmir or in any other part of our country; we also have to find a permanent solution to combat terrorism.

Let us now look at a long-term problem. It is paradoxical to see floods in one part of our country while some other parts face drought. This drought – flood phenomenon is a recurring feature. The need of the hour is to have a water mission which will enable availability of water to the fields, villages, towns and industries throughout the year, even while maintaining environmental purity. One major part of the water mission would be networking of our rivers. Technological and project management capabilities of our country can rise to the occasion and make this river networking a reality with long term planning and proper investment. In addition, the vast sea around us can help by providing potable water through desalination as a cost effective technology. There are of course short term techniques such as water harvesting by revitalizing rural ponds, water recycling to water conservation. Such programmes should have a large scale people participation even at the conceptual and project planning stages. The entire programme should revolve around economic viability leading to continued prosperity for our people with larger employment potential, environmental sustainability, grass root level motivation and benefit sharing.

I would now like to share with you friends, another crucial requirement and necessity for our country. We cannot sustain a second vision for the country without Unity of Minds of all our people. Our great strength is our pluralistic tradition and civilisational heritage of nearly 3000 years. I have always been asking myself what the strength of our heritage is. A unique fusion has taken place with multiple cultures, religions and the way of life of many parts of the world and that has become the foundation of the Indian life. One can trace from 1857 to date, the type of good experiences we have had and also the strife resulting out of the differences in thoughts.

I have just now returned from Gujarat after interactions with various cross sections of people, leaders, officials and rehabilitation workers in the areas affected by recent disturbances and earthquake. I also visited the Sabarmati Ashram which was established by Mahatma Gandhi for the purpose of our countrymen to carry on the search for truth and develop fearlessness. I sat in silence for a while in the Ashram and remembered the life of Gandhiji. One dominant thought came to my mind. If we can go above our own personal hardships and see the problems of others and decide to work for a larger cause, then there is natural elevation of our minds. When we are lax in this, then our level of thinking goes down. I felt confident that all of us can be elevated to the level of noble minds, if we just decide to understand others and to practice tolerance. I realized that Gujarat has given the noble leader - Mahatma Gandhi, unifier of the nation – Vallabhbhai Patel and the great visionary in science and technology - Vikram Sarabhai and many more. Time has come for every one of us to put the thoughts of these great souls into action for nation’s welfare.

Non-violence, tolerance, acceptance of all religions and different ways of life, search for truth and fearlessness are the values the Mahatma taught us and they are the cornerstones of our civilisational heritage and, therefore, of Indian polity. Any act by anyone anywhere in India that runs counter to these eternal values would pose a threat to the fabric of free Indian nation which was born and nurtured by the supreme sacrifices of countless noble souls. We should all work together to achieve the mission for Unity of Minds to preserve what we so preciously earned and reach greater heights in the future.

When I interact with school children and youth, wherever I go, one question comes often. They ask me “who are our role models?” Parents and teachers have to show them by example to live as enlightened citizens. Children also look for role models at national level in different fields. I have described earlier the role models from Gujarat. Each state of our country has many such examples of the past. It is now time we create more role models from the present. I suggest that members of our Parliament and Legislatures can shape the future of our children by becoming good role models. Parliament and Legislatures have a crucial role in giving the vision of developed India and value based polity. Our children should see the members of the Parliament debating the vision of developed India, providing action plans and putting forth great thoughts and challenges to them. Looking at the national leaders, the children will find their role models for their development and growth.

I am sure, our leadership and our people can achieve the second vision of developed India. Let us take a vow on this Independence Day that the nation is more important compared to any individual, party or organisation.

I pray to the Almighty for Unity of Minds and our success in every aspect of life.

Jai Hind.

Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri Manohar Joshi and the Indian Parliamentary delegation, presently in Poland on an official visit from 22-26 May 2002, met President of the Republic of Poland H.E. Mr. Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri Manohar Joshi and the Indian Parliamentary delegation, presently in Poland on an official visit from 22-26 May 2002, met President of the Republic of Poland H.E. Mr. Aleksander Kwasniewski today and had an exchange of views on a wide range of issues including the contacts between the Parliaments of the two countries.           

India attaches importance and priority to its long-standing and traditionally friendly relations with Poland. The interaction between the Parliaments of the two countries has become an important feature of the bilateral relationship during the last decade.  Poland is currently India's most important trading partner in Central and East Europe.  Cultural and people-to-people contacts between India and Poland go back in history and there is well-established tradition of Indological studies in various universities in Poland.

Both the President of Poland and the Hon’ble Speaker  of Lok Sabha emphasised the need to fight against international terrorism by all peace loving countries in all its forms.  Reference was made to the initiatives taken by Poland and President Kwasniewski personally to bring together like minded countries on important international issues.  Speaker Joshi specially referred to the regional Conference on Combating International Terrorism held in Warsaw in November 2001 as an important initiative. As a country which has suffered continuously from international terrorism for the past two decades, India fully understands the ramifications of international terrorism and the need for concerted action by the international community to combat and eradicate this evil.          

Shri Joshi also referred to the Community of Democracies Conference held in Warsaw in June 2000, of which India was one of the co-conveners, and said India had found the conference to be extremely useful and believes that democratic Governments provide the best guarantees against adventurism and war.

          While expressing full support to Poland’s entry into the EU, Shri Joshi noted that Poland will be an important member of the emerging new Europe and will soon constitute the Eastern frontier of the EU.  He observed that Poland’s membership of the EU would boost Indo-Polish trade and improve economic relations.

          Earlier Hon’ble Speaker and members of the Indian Parliamentary delegation visiting Poland were welcomed with a standing ovation in the Sejm (Lower House) of Poland.  Hon’ble Speaker and the delegation thereafter had a meeting with the Presidium of the Foreign Affairs Committee chaired by Mr. Jerzy Jaskiernia who is also leader of the Parliamentary Party  of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance in the Sejm.  The Presidium of the Poland-South-Central Asia Parliamentary Group later hosted lunch for the Hon’ble Speaker and the Parliamentary delegation.

Warsaw, the 23^rd May 2002.

Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri Manohar Joshi unveils the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Shri Manohar Joshi, Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha inaugurated the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the ultra-modern and impressive library of the Warsaw University on 23 May 2002.  The Bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi designed by  the prominent Indian sculptor Shri Gautum Pal was gifted to the Warsaw University by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi.           

This is the first statue of Mahatma Gandhi to be installed in Poland.  Speaking on the occasion, Shri Manohar Joshi said that the relevance and universality of Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence, civil-disobedience, truth and universal brotherhood of Mahatma Gandhi has increased in the post-September 11 world than ever before.  He said hat Mahatma Gandhi was a charismatic leader who inspired and mobilsed the masses of India to seek freedom from their two centuries old yoke of colonialism.

Shri Joshi said that Mahatma Gandhi was particularly aware of and concerned with the sufferings and sacrifices of the people of Poland during the Second World War and expressed his solidarity with the people of this country and raised his voice against their oppression. The Indian Speaker of Lok Sabha noted that while Poland is truly a free and democratic nation and is about to reclaim its original place in the mainstream of European civilisation, it is befitting that the statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been chosen to be installed in the heart of Warsaw city to sanctify his memory for future generations.          

Shri Joshi announced that the Indian Parliament would be happy to gift a collection of books by and about Mahatma Gandhi to the Warsaw University Library. 

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi overlooks the impressive entrance of the Library and centrally located in the building.

Warsaw, May 23, 2002.

Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha Manohar Joshi lays Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Warsaw, 24^th May, 2002

Shri Harin Pathak, Hon’ble Minister of State for Defence Production and Supplies is paying an official visit to Poland from 5-10 July 2002 at the invitation of First Deputy Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mr Janusz Zemke who had visited India in February as head of the Polish delegation to DEFEXPO 2002.Besides holding detailed discussions with his official host Zemke and the  First Deputy Minister of Economy, Mr. Andrzej Szarawarski who is in-charge of the Polish defence exports, Hon’ble Minister Shri Pathak had a meeting with Minister of National Defence, Mr Jerzy Szmajdzinski.

          During all the meetings there was a detailed discussion on the issue of global campaign against international terrorism. Hon’ble Minister appraised his Polish interlocutors of the situation in the subcontinent and several peace initiatives taken by India to resolve the crisis in the face of grave provocation. Pakistan’s role in fostering cross border terrorism in Indian  territory   in  the   last  12  years which culminated in the attack on the Indian Parliament in December last year,  the earlier attack on the Jammu    &  Kashmir  Assembly in October and horrific act of terrorism in Kaluchak on May 14 where among others a number of innocent children, women and relatives of armed forces were slaughtered was highlighted.  

          Polish side expressed its full understanding of the situation in the subcontinent and seriousness of the threat of terrorism faced by India.  It expressed its appreciation of India’s continued commitment to resolving all issues with Pakistan through dialogue and negotiation.The Polish side also reiterated its resolve that the menace of terrorism in all its forms wherever it takes place irrespective of the underlying philosophy should be condemned and eliminated.

Detailed discussions are being held on possibilities of enhancing defence cooperation with Poland with which some procurement contracts have recently been signed by India.   Both sides reiterated the importance they attach to the bilateral relations and in particular to the strengthening of defence cooperation to the mutual benefit.

As part of the detailed program of the visit, Hon’ble Minister would be visiting units of all three wings of the Polish armed forces. 

Warsaw, 6 July 2002.