Poland seeks permanent G20 seat, says India has backed its bid

Atlanta: Poland is pushing for a permanent seat at the G20 and has received India’s support for its candidacy, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Friday.

Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of a press conference, Sikorski said the United States had moved a resolution proposing permanent membership for Poland. He said he had been reaching out to G20 counterparts to build support for the proposal and had specifically sought India’s backing.

According to Sikorski, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Poland of India’s support during the recent visit of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to India.

“We are grateful for that,” he said.

Asked about the timeline for Poland’s admission, Sikorski said the process would depend on consensus among G20 members but expressed hope that it could be completed during the United States’ presidency. He pointed to the upcoming G20 summit in Florida and said Britain had also invited Tusk to attend next year’s summit in Manchester.

Sikorski said he had discussed Poland’s bid with counterparts from Argentina, Canada, South Korea and Indonesia, and had also engaged with Saudi Arabia, with a formal bilateral meeting scheduled for the following day. He claimed that nearly all the countries he had approached had responded positively, with some announcing their support publicly.

On India-Poland ties, the Polish minister described Tusk’s visit as “extremely successful,” noting that the Polish Prime Minister was accompanied by ministers and a large business delegation. Sikorski said the visit opened up new avenues for cooperation between the two countries.

He also welcomed progress on a proposed free trade agreement between India and the European Union, saying negotiations had gathered pace and that he hoped the eventual deal would benefit both sides. Referring to the EU-Mercosur agreement, he acknowledged scepticism in Poland but said early indicators were encouraging and expressed similar optimism about an India-EU pact.

Sikorski also referred to India’s diplomatic efforts on a proposed ceasefire in the Black Sea, alongside a Turkish initiative. While he did not share details, he urged swift action, saying people in the Global South were bearing the consequences of ongoing conflicts.

Asked whether he had met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the summit, Sikorski spoke warmly of their long-standing relationship but did not confirm a separate bilateral meeting.

The Polish Foreign Minister also highlighted closer coordination with Washington, saying he had exchanged views with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on potential joint initiatives. While declining to give details, he indicated that more Polish-American cooperation on international issues could be expected.

“I’m glad to say that they’re excellent, irrespective of who is in charge, either in Washington or in Warsaw,” he said of bilateral ties.

On the possibility of the G20 summit concluding without a joint communiqué, Sikorski said he was not surprised given the conflicts involving countries represented at the table. He stressed the need to continue dialogue on issues such as freedom of navigation, energy security and food security.

The G20 was formed in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis and was upgraded to a leaders’ forum in 2008 during the global financial crisis. The African Union became a permanent member at the New Delhi summit in September 2023, during India’s presidency.

(Inputs from IANS)