Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk is likely to visit India from October 21 to 24, sources have told The Indian Express. Tusk, who has served as the Prime Minister of Poland since 2023 and has held the office from 2007 to 2014, last paid a state visit to India in September 2010 during then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure.With Poland having emerged as one of the growing and significant economies of Europe and geopolitically at the forefront of the Russia-Ukraine war, Tusk’s visit is aimed at bolstering economic, political and strategic ties with India.Tusk was the President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019 and led the European People’s Party from 2019 to 2022.He has been one of the early proponents of the India-European Union (EU) trade deal, which is expected to be signed by December this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Brussels.Preparations are underway to schedule the Polish PM’s trip to India next month, including visits to Delhi and Bangalore.This will be a reciprocal visit by Tusk, more than two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Poland on August 21-22, 2024, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Poland.PM Modi’s Poland visit was considered historic as it came 45 years after former PM Morarji Desai visited the country in 1979. The principal outcome of the visit was the decision to elevate India-Poland bilateral relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership.Story continues below this adIn the last few years, India and Poland have strengthened cooperation in defence and space sectors, and officials in Delhi and Warsaw are working towards concluding a series of outcomes in these strategic sectors during the Polish PM’s visit.The Indian and Polish officials are also looking at cooperation and collaboration in developing port infrastructure, shipbuilding and marine technology — and this is the connective tissue for a range of services, which can be of dual use, meant for both military and civilian use, sources said.According to Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, the two sides are keen on moving Poland–India relations from strategic statements toward concrete cooperation in defence industry and supply-chain resilience.Bartoszewski, who met a delegation of Indian journalists in Warsaw, said Poland and India are “exploring joint production and common platforms rather than only bilateral sales” in defence equipment.Story continues below this adA group from India’s Ministry of Defence is expected to visit Warsaw in the coming weeks for a working group meeting with their Polish counterparts.This will also set the stage for outcomes to be signed and announced during PM Tusk’s visit.The two sides are working on the joint statement on the bilateral partnership and action plan (2024-2028) to implement the future strategic partnership.Officials said India and Poland share a “long-standing friendly relationship”, marked by high-level political contacts and vibrant economic engagement.Story continues below this adThe diplomatic relations were established in 1954, leading to the opening of the Indian embassy in Warsaw in 1957. The two countries shared common ideological perceptions, based on their opposition to colonialism, imperialism and racism. During the Communist era, bilateral relations were close and cordial, with regular high-level visits (several VVIP visits from India – beginning with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955 — and four from Poland), coupled with planned trade and economic interactions by state trading organisations, underpinned by the rupee clearing arrangements.The relationship stayed strong after Poland chose the democratic path in 1989. Officials said a cordial political relationship has emerged in the current century, particularly after Poland joined the EU in 2004, and became India’s key economic partner in Central Europe.The writer was in Poland at the invitation of its government