New Delhi: Poland has openly backed India’s counterterrorism position, with Poland’s ambassador to India, Piotr Antoni Świtalski, saying that Warsaw supports New Delhi’s right to act against terrorists. “On the question of terrorism, we are on your side because we are victims of terrorism,” Świtalski said.
His remarks came as India and Poland prepare for a fresh push in defence cooperation, with a Polish government delegation expected in India next week and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk’s expected visit likely to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Speaking at the India-Poland People Connect event in New Delhi, Świtalski said Poland’s position on terrorism was clear and that it supports India’s right to act against terrorists. “We support your right to pursue terrorists everywhere they go because our policy on that is very clear, and we said it openly,” he said, referring to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. He added, “We cannot compare because the terrorist attacks committed against the Indian souls in the past years, including in Kashmir in 2025, were terrible. Nothing comparable happened in Poland.”
Poland addresses Pakistan, Operation Sindoor
He also addressed reports about Polish drones used by India during Operation Sindoor, saying Indian and Pakistani sources had reported that some of the drones were shot down. Świtalski said he believed the drones were likely used as decoys or training platforms rather than as advanced combat systems.
On Poland’s ties with Pakistan, he said the two countries maintain diplomatic relations and some economic engagement, but rejected any suggestion that this should be seen as a challenge to India-Poland relations. He said he was surprised by statements using the “Pakistani factor” to target Poland and suggested that a “foreign agenda” could be behind them.
Świtalski also mentioned Poland’s military links with both India and Pakistan. He noted that Polish pilots helped build Pakistan’s air force after Partition, while Polish tanks were used by the Indian Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and highlighted that Poland was the third country in the world to recognize Bangladesh’s independence.
Poland’s defence delegation, Tusk visit to push strategic partnership
Discussions on defence cooperation are already under way between government representatives and companies from both countries, Świtalski said. The delegation’s visit next week and Tusk’s expected trip to India are likely to add further momentum to those talks.
Świtalski said Tusk’s visit would continue the political dialogue between the two countries and send a positive message to businesses and other partners. The visit would follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Poland in August 2024, when he became the first Indian prime minister to visit Poland in 45 years. The visit also coincided with the 70th anniversary of India-Poland diplomatic relations.
During Modi’s visit, the two countries upgraded their partnership and adopted a five-year action plan for 2024–2028. The plan covers cooperation in trade and investment, health, transport, cyber security, science and technology, defence and cultural exchanges.
India and Poland also agreed to strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums and reaffirmed their support for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific in line with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Both sides also discussed the Ukraine conflict, expressed concern over its humanitarian impact and called for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity.