Panda expert: India sees Poland as a channel for its presence in Europe
Narendra Modi arrived in Poland with very specific goals. India is seeking to expand ties with Europe, said Defence24 expert Jagannath Panda. New Delhi wants to develop a new version of the partnership with Warsaw, as it considers it to be the link between Eastern and Western Europe.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Poland. The previous visit of the Indian Prime Minister to RP took place in 1979. The key topics of discussion will be the revitalization of bilateral relations with a special focus on defense cooperation and strategic planning. Economic issues will also be discussed. It is worth noting that this year, for the first time in several decades, India appointed its military attache in Warsaw. Modi will meet with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He will also visit the Grave of the Unknown Soldier and the monument to the Battle of Monte Cassino. Poles and Indians were part of a large Allied coalition in the major battles of Tobruk and Monte Cassino in 1944. After this visit, the Prime Minister of India will travel to Ukraine for the first time in history.
Does New Delhi seek to play an important role in the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict? We are looking forward to a new chapter in relations between Poland and India. Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, answered questions about Polish-Indian cooperation, including in the field of defense, plans for Ukraine and rivalry with China.
Defence24: Why is Prime Minister Modi's visit to Poland important?
Jagannath Panda: Poland is becoming a strategic hub on the Old Continent. Given that India is seeking to expand its ties with Europe, New Delhi should, first of all, develop a new version of partnership with Warsaw as a key route and link between Eastern and Western Europe.
Poland is on its way to becoming an exemplary emerging economy in Europe, which is a guideline for every developing Asian and Indo-Pacific State, including India, which should maintain contacts with Poland in various fields. More importantly, we believe that Warsaw is consistently implementing a plan of cooperation with Asia, and now is the time for India to seek to expand cooperation with Poland. Thus, the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is certainly very timely.
India should be interested in considering Poland as a "future" strategic partner, since Warsaw is demonstrating strong resistance to the authoritarian front on its border, the formation of which aims to bring Russia and China closer together. In the future, Poland's strategy to play a leading role on the European continent in the fight against authoritarian regimes should encourage India to consider Poland as a key partner in expanding Indian influence in Central and Eastern Europe.
Indeed, given India's growing strategic interest in the Baltic region and Central Europe, Poland can become not only a gateway for Indian trade and economic cooperation, but also a strategic communication channel for India's growing presence in the region, which will contribute to improving diplomatic, political and strategic relations. Currently, there is no country in the European strategic space that would be better suited to the role of India's key partner than Poland, given that Poland's influence in the European Union is steadily growing.
– In which sectors can Poland and India expand their cooperation? What are the most important elements?
– The time has come for India and Poland to expand their partnership, which can be described as "strategic" and "comprehensive". However, it is impossible to develop a partnership without preparing a long-term plan and identifying specific sectors for joint projects. Three key areas that may be relevant for future cooperation between India and Poland are cooperation in the fields of education, tourism and defense partnership. (...)
Defense and security ties should be gradually expanded. Poland is becoming a key producer of military products in Central Europe, and India must take this into account. Poland's military cooperation with South Korea is gaining momentum. Once Poland supplied weapons to India, this experience needs to be evaluated, updated and strengthened in a new modern strategic context. During the conflict in Ukraine, Poland became a key supplier of weapons to Kiev, which increased its credibility as a country ready to resist any authoritarian escalation on its border. This should encourage India to evaluate Poland positively and see if the Indian Make in India program can strengthen joint production and military cooperation between India and Poland. (...)
– Is military cooperation between the two countries possible? Is it possible to jointly develop a combat vehicle, missile or some other weapon?
– Military cooperation has great potential and should become a guideline for comprehensive cooperation between Poland and India in the future. As I have already said, the Indian program currently being implemented encourages foreign capital to invest in India and participate in joint ventures. Therefore, it is possible to develop a plan for the joint production of combat vehicles, missiles, tanks, etc. Private military enterprises in India should have a platform for cooperation with relevant Polish companies. Regular dialogue, visits, and communication at seminars and conferences can contribute to deepening cooperation and launching investments. Building trust in each other's capabilities plays a key role here.
Moreover, for India, cooperation with Poland in the field of defense and security can bring a number of strategic benefits. For example, the Indian military can learn from Poland how to conduct combat operations and prepare for allied operations and missions. Poland's 25-year experience in NATO can be a useful lesson on how to be ready to cooperate in the context of collective security or collective defense. In addition, thanks to modernization, command reform and adaptation to high-tech weapons within the framework of cooperation with NATO, the Polish armed forces are becoming more and more advanced. As India prepares to reduce its dependence on imports of Russian military equipment and plans to increase imports from Western destinations, it will be a huge advantage for it if it learns Poland's strategy of adapting to modern conditions in the military sphere.
Poland can become a key partner in the modernization of India's defense sector. At the same time, India gives priority to joint production with technologically advanced "like-minded countries" such as the United States, France, some European Union countries, Israel and South Korea. Recent efforts to cooperate in the field of high technology in the field of defense with the United States and to cooperate in the field of semiconductor production within the framework of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council with the participation of each of the partners seem promising. This will not only help India create promising mechanisms for the development of the Indo-Pacific region, but also give impetus to the Indian transformation towards high-tech production. Poland should take this into account and take joint steps with India in the field of security and defense cooperation, including critical (strategic) technologies.
– What role can India play in ending the Russian-Ukrainian conflict? China did not succeed, France did not succeed, and the efforts of the United States also did not lead to a breakthrough. Can Prime Minister Modi change the course of events?
– India does not seek to play the role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine, nor does it seek to act as an arbitrator for the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. At the same time, India does not promote military methods of solving problems, and Delhi would like the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to end, and therefore calls for peace. However, it should be noted that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis is not just the result of a conflict between the two countries. It is the result of the policies of the great Powers and, more importantly, the collapse of the post-war peaceful architecture that Europe and Russia have supported for some time.
Given all these aspects, India cannot play any significant role here. The conflict can be ended only if Europe and Russia come to an agreement with China, which seems unlikely in the current circumstances. China stands firmly on Russia's side, and the EU member states, including Poland, should finally take note of this. (...)
– How does India feel about China's growing defense spending and rising tensions in the region?
– China poses a threat at the regional and global levels. China's military modernization and the steady increase in its defense budget is a huge threat of strategic concern to India and the world. China's aggressive approach to the border dispute with India is also an urgent challenge. Beijing's aggressive foreign policy and the country's growing naval potential under Xi Jinping are also becoming a matter of concern in the region - from the South China Sea to the East China Seas and the entire Indian Ocean.
Author: Alexander Oleh (Alexander Olech)Alexander Oleh (Aleksander Olech)
