Polish Deputy PM Radoslaw Sikorski, in Delhi, said Poland seeks new trade partners like India due to increased tariffs. He stressed the need for free trade and expressed optimism for the successful conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Poland Seeks New Trade Partners, Pushes for Free Trade
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski, outlining the importance of his visit to India, said Poland has faced “increased tariffs” and is seeking new trade partners, emphasising the need to create a free trade environment.
Speaking to the reporters in Delhi, Radoslaw Sikorski said that “India has shown willingness” to engage with Poland. “When faced with increased tariffs from some regions of the world, we seek new trade partners, and India has shown a willingness to engage. We need to demonstrate to the world that there are regions in the world that still believe in free trade,” he said.
This comes after the US, last year, signed a trade agreement with the European Union, of which Poland is also a part, imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods.
India-EU Free Trade Agreement
Meanwhile, India and the EU have reached the last phase of negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement. Polish Deputy PM said that the collaboration between the EU and India has a large potential, and highlighted the commission’s predictable single market approach that can be beneficial for its partners.
“While some industries are sensitive, the agricultural sectors of India and the EU are more or less compatible… So there is a large potential… The EU’s nature as a confederation, with its checks and balances between member states, the European Parliament, and the Commission, makes it a predictable single market… In our system, we can’t make such turns like in other parts of the world, which makes us an attractive trade partner and investment destination,” he said.
He remained optimistic that the FTA would reach a successful conclusion. “We are optimistic that the ongoing negotiations between India and the European Union on a free trade agreement will reach a successful conclusion, benefiting both India and the EU.”
India-EU FTA is expected to be completed during the visit of the European Council President, Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who will visit India to represent the EU at the 16th EU-India Summit, scheduled for January 27.
Condemnation of Transnational Terrorism
Radoslaw Sikorski, who met EAM Jaishankar on Monday, said that the discussions covered several pressing issues in our neighbourhood, as well as global affairs. “Our discussions also covered several pressing issues in our neighbourhood, as well as global affairs… Both of our countries strongly condemn the violation of international borders, whether through tanks or terrorists. Poland and India have both suffered from transnational terrorism, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
Jaishankar told Radoslaw Sikorski that, “Poland should display zero tolerance for terrorism and not help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood”. Agreeing with Jaishankar on terrorism, Sikorski said, “I completely agree with you on the need to counter transnational transborder terrorism. Poland, as you may have heard, has been a victim of arson and attempted state terrorism when a Polish railway line was blown up under a moving train just very recently,” he said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)