Donald Tusk on three-day visit to India

06 Sept 2010 New Delhi Nksagar-Sagar Media:

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his wife are in India today for talks on bi-lateral trade relations, part of a tour, which includes Vietnam, to increase Polish-Asian trade and investment.The talks on trade and defence issues will be a continuation of talks between the two countries which began with the President of India’s visit to Poland in April 2009.

Prime Minister will be participating on Monday in the Polish- Indian investment forum in Bangalore where he will be meeting with representatives of top Indian companies.On Tuesday, PM Tusk will have talks with President Pratibha Patil, vice president and chairman of the upper house of parliament Ansari Mohammad Hamid, Minister of Foreign Affairs Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna and head of the Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi.

Discussions will focus on opportunities for investment and economic cooperation and will also address cooperation in culture and education, European issues and combating terrorism.


The trade gap - in India’s favour - will be one of the issues PM Tusk will raise during his stay in the sub continent. Though Poland exports railway and mining equipment, chemicals, metals and machinery it imports far more from India, including cash crops tea, coffee, tobacco, pepper, fibre and cotton products.

Tusk is also anxious to raise more foreign direct investment from Asia. At the end of 2008, the value of Indian investments accounted for just 0.04 percent of foreign direct investment in Poland.Next year's EU- India Summit will take place during the Polish presidency of the European Union.

Later in the week, Prime Minister Tusk will fly to Vietnam for talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, President Nguyen Minh Triết and the ruling Communist Party General Secretary Manh Nong Duc.MP Tusk will return to Poland on Friday.Polish media reports.

Donald Tusk arrives Monday morning in Bangalore, Poland Prime Minister will attend a programme in the city will reach the national capital New Delhi in the evening at the Air Force Station of Palam.The Prime Minister will be participating on Monday in the Polish- Indian investment forum in Bangalore where he will be meeting with representatives of top Indian companies. Indian investment in Poland by big major player of Indian Inc Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Zensar and Wipro and Laxmi Mittal investment in steel speaks economical Polish technical manpower,the easy connectivity of Poland to other European cities needs Indian businessmen and exporters for the democratic set-up free economy make Poland a hot business destination.

Donald Tusk on Tuesday morning,will be given a ceremonial reception at forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan Half an hour later, at 9.30, the visiting Prime Minister will lay wreath at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Poland PM will meet External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna at the ITC Maurya hotel the scheduled programme, he will meet Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj at 11.15 a.m. at the same hotel.

Donald Tusk will then call on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 12.00 p.m.Later,thereafter attend a Business Luncheon meet to be held by FICCI/CII/ASSOCHAM at Hotel ITC Maurya . Donald will call on Vice President Hamid Ansari at 4.35 p.m.

Poland Prime Minister will meet President of Congress Party and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath.Thereafter Donald Tusk at 7.00 p.m., will be meeting with his counterpart the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and hold delegation level talks and may sign socio Polito business agreements,at the Hyderabad House.

On Wednesday, Donal Tusk the Poland PM will leave for Agra city to attend a programme. He will return to Delhi on the same day after a few hours and leave for Hanoi at 1.00 p.m. on the same day.