'President Kaczynski was a true friend of India and was personally committed to strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries', the Indian president said.
President Pratibha Patil today condoled the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and others in a plane crash and said in his loss India had lost a friend who was committed to strengthen bilateral relations between two countries.
In her condolence message to marshall speaker of the Sejn (Upper House) Bronislaw Komorowski, the president said, "I am deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the death of president Lech Kaczynski, Madam Kaczynski and others in a plane crash today.
"I warmly recall my meeting with president Kaczynski during my visit to Poland in April last year. President Kaczynski was a true friend of India and was personally committed to strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries."
At this sad moment, India shares Poland's grief, the message said.
The Polish president and some of that country's top military and civilian leadership were killed when the presidential plane crashed in dense fog while trying to land in western Russia.