Speaking in a session titled ‘From Signature to Strategy: the European Union – India Economic Compact’ at the summit, the ambassador said that the view from Poland is that everything needs to be done to fast-track the agreement through the European parliamentary systems.
He added that from Europe, India is seen as a land of opportunity and a friendly, priority partner. “On my desk, I have letters from Polish companies ready to invest in India billions of euros. And we are not a big economy. We don’t have a big economy. We don’t have big companies, but they see India as a very fertile ground for economic activities. And we invite Indian companies, particularly in Poland, because Poland is a good starting point for the rest of Europe,” he said.
The Ambassador also called for using the momentum of the FTA to move ahead on other areas like connectivity, saying that the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) should be a priority. “IMEC should be upgraded from the institutional and other aspects and extended to the north,” he said.
In an interactive session, the Ambassador said that there are strong political actors active in the world who are trying to use economy to gain political advantage by weaponising trade. The India-EU FTA, the envoy said, can be a good example to show the world that alternative paths are also available for nations.