Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 23 (ANI): Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk and his delegation arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday night to participate in various programmes. Tusk arrived at Kempegowda International Airport at night.

He received a warm welcome with a bouquet from Krishna Byre Gowda, the Greater Bengaluru Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, on behalf of the Karnataka Government.

Chief Secretary to Government Shalini Rajneesh, Secretary of Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) KG Jagadish, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

The arrival in Bengaluru follows constructive deliberations between PM Modi and PM Tusk earlier in the day, where both leaders agreed to deepen strategic cooperation, expand bilateral trade, and build robust digital and entrepreneurial linkages between the two nations through the proposed StartUp Bridge.

'Held excellent talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland. We reviewed the progress in our Strategic Partnership and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in: Trade and investment. Defence and space. Nuclear energy. Critical minerals. We also exchanged views on regional and global issues,' PM Modi conveyed via social media on X.

'We also discussed ways to deepen India-Poland ties in technology, innovation and people-to-people exchanges. We have agreed to establish an India-Poland StartUp Bridge and organise technology hackathons for our youth. We will also expand cooperation in Al, cybersecurity, education, culture, sports and tourism,' he stated in a subsequent post.

The Polish Prime Minister revealed that Poland-India Partnership Day would be observed annually on March 30, marking the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

'We have ambitious plans for cooperation, not only in traditional industries, but also in the space, digitalisation and drone sectors,' the Polish leader was quoted as stating in an official release issued by his office.

Polish Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domanski, who was accompanying the delegation, asserted that commercial exchanges between the two nations 'will at least double' by 2030.

Earlier, Tusk remarked that he felt 'proud' to call PM Modi a 'friend', expressing admiration for India's constructive international role while characterising the nation as a 'sign of hope in the times of destabilisation, uncertainty, political uncertainty and instability'. (ANI)