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New Delhi/ Bangalore, Sep.6 (ANI): Poland is keen to supply tank recovery vehicles to India and also ready for joint ventures and transfer technology.

Addressing reporters in a news briefing in New Delhi, B.B. Harrison, joint secretary (Europe) in Ministry of External Affairs said: ” Poland is interested in supplying tank recovery vehicles. The offer is based on past experience as Poland has supplied to India spares as well as technology for maintaining and upgrading several kinds of equipment. Poland, is not only interested only in selling the equipment to India but is also ready for joint ventures and transfer technology.”

Addressing captains of the Indian industry today in Bangalore, the visiting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that being strategically located in the heart of Europe, Poland offers the ideal investment opportunity to Indian entrepreneurs for setting up subsidiaries or explore partnerships in diverse sectors, with access to European and global markets,

Tusk said that he decided to commence his three-day visit to India from Bangalore to consolidate bilateral relations through business and collaborations.

Prime Minister Tusk and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with their delegations are scheduled to hold in-depth exchange of views on robust bilateral relations and also discuss bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Harrison told reporters in New Delhi that the Defence cooperation with Poland, which began in early 1970s, is growing and will figure in the discussions.

Relying to a question related to bilateral defense cooperation between India and Poland, Harrison said: “I would like to mention a particular positive feature that Poland, unlike some of our business partners, is not interested only in selling the equipment to us but is also ready to have joint ventures and transfer technology.

“A Polish company is in collaboration already with an Indian company for some items and there are discussions under way for expanding that cooperation further.”

Asked if there were any agreements expected to be signed in the defence area and other agreements expected to be signed during this visit of Polish Prime Minister, the Joint Secretary (Central Europe) Harrison said: “None in defence. While there are a number of agreements on the table, the one agreement which will be signed during the visit is the cultural exchange programme for 2010 to 2012. In the area of defence, as my colleague mentioned, after 2004 a Defence Working Group has been established which has been discussing cooperation in various fields including, I would like to highlight, training which is under way.”

MEA’s official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash, however, added: “This is ongoing cooperation. The fifth round of JWG discussions had taken place in Warsaw in April this year.”

Asked which other areas defence cooperation may be expanded, Vishnu Prakash said: “We have an important relationship, a multifaceted relationship, of which defence cooperation is also an important area. We have already shared with you how the defence cooperation has been progressing. She (Ms.Harrison) explained that. It is an ongoing process, and it certainly covers all elements including exchanges, training, technology transfer, procurement of defence equipment, and so on. So, suffice it to say that it is an important relationship and it is a process that is ongoing.”

To a question related to the possibility of discussion on the issue of the Free Trade Agreement between EU and India during this visit, as Poland is a member of the EU, Harrison said: “……But certainly Poland, as you are aware, is an active member of EU, and we would be discussing each other’s activities in various multilateral organizations in which the other has an interest. So, we would certainly I think be hearing from Poland. Poland would be sharing with us its experiences within the EU, its perceptions of the priorities of EU and so on. And, I would imagine that this agreement would also be something that would be touched upon.”

Vishnu Prakash added to this reply by stating: “EU is our largest trading partner. We have regular India-EU Summits. We have been working closely with each other. On the India-EU agreement, active discussions are ongoing. (ANI)