NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the visit of Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to India reflected the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries. He stated that the growing cooperation in the defence and security sectors reflects deep mutual trust between the two nations.
In a joint press statement after holding bilateral and delegation level talks here with his Greek counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that both countries have agreed to take their bilateral trade to two times by the year 2030.
PM Modi said, “I am happy to welcome PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his delegation to India. After my visit to Greece last year, his visit to India is a symbol of the strengthening strategic partnership between the two countries. The visit of the Greek PM to India after 16 years is a historic occasion”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were among others who were present in the delegation level talks.
Prime Minister Modi said India welcomes Greece’s active participation and positive role in the Indo-Pacific and called it a matter of happiness that Greece has taken the decision to be part of the Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative.
In his press statement alongside Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, PM Modi said, “In today’s meeting we also discussed many regional and international issues. We agree that all disputes and tensions should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. We welcome Greece’s active participation and positive role in the Indo-Pacific”.
“It is a matter of happiness that Greece has decided to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. There has also been agreement for cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Launched during India’s presidency of the G20, the IMEC Corridor will make a significant contribution to the development of humanity in the long run. Greece can also become an important partner in this initiative”, he added.
#WATCH | Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says "It is our expectation that the university linkages between the two countries will enhance. We are in the process of expanding and encouraging Universities of other countries to come up and set up their education linkages in India with… pic.twitter.com/APkzJz2JFo
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2024
PM Modi said that he and Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed to reform United Nations and other global institutions. He stated that the two nations will continue their efforts to contribute to global peace and stability.
PM Modi said, “We agreed to reform the UN and other global institutions, so that they can be made contemporary. India and Greece will continue their efforts to contribute to global peace and stability”.
PM Modi said he and Kyriakos Mitsotakis have decided to prepare an action plan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Greece in 2025.
He said, “We also emphasized on promoting cooperation between higher education institutions of the two countries. We decided to prepare an Action Plan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Greece next year. With this, we will be able to showcase the common heritage, achievements of both the countries in science and technology, innovation, sports and other fields on the global stage”.
Teming his discussions with Kyriakos Mitsotakis as “meaningful and useful”, PM Modi said that the two nations are rapidly heading towards doubling bilateral trade by 2030. He expressed happiness that India and Greece are taking steps to implement the agreements reached in this area in 2023.
PM Modi said new opportunities were explored during his meeting ranging from agriculture, pharma, medical devices, technologies, innovation, skill development, and space.
PM Modi said, “Our discussions today were very meaningful and useful. It is a matter of happiness that we are rapidly heading towards doubling bilateral trade by 2030. We identified several new opportunities to give new energy and direction to our cooperation. There are many possibilities for closer cooperation between the two countries in the field of agriculture”.
He added, “And I am pleased that both sides are taking steps to implement the agreements reached in this area last year. We emphasized on increasing cooperation in many areas like pharma, medical devices, technology, innovation, skill development, and space”.
#WATCH | Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says "…Both leaders reinforced their commitment to build in this regard the partnership in the Mediterranean Sea as also in the Indo Pacific…They also exchanged views on how to build our cooperation in the context of India-Middle… pic.twitter.com/Dq4NMAha9t
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2024
He said shipping and connectivity are the highest priority areas and discussed increasing cooperation in these areas with the Greek PM. PM Modi noted that India and Greece have common concerns and priorities in the fight against terrorism. PM Modi said, “We also discussed connecting the start-ups of both countries. Shipping and connectivity are topics of high priority for both the countries. We also discussed increasing cooperation in these areas.”
Announcing the formation of a Working Group between India and Greece for defence and security, he said, “The growing cooperation in defence and security reflects our deep mutual trust. With the formation of a Working Group in this area, we will be able to increase mutual coordination on common challenges like defence, cyber security, counter-terrorism, and maritime security.”
He said, “New opportunities for co-production and co-development are being created in defence manufacturing in India, which can be beneficial for both the countries. We have agreed to connect the defence industries of both the countries. India and Greece have common concerns and priorities in the fight against terrorism. We discussed in detail how to further strengthen our cooperation in this area”.
He noted that India and Greece have a long history of deep cultural and people-to-people ties. PM Modi stated that people of both nations have been exchanging trade and cultural ties as well as ideas.
He said, “As two ancient and great civilizations, India and Greece have a long history of deep cultural and people-to-people ties. For almost two and a half thousand years, people of both the countries have been exchanging trade and cultural relations as well as ideas”.
“Today we identified several new initiatives to give a modern form to these relations. We discussed concluding the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between the two countries as soon as possible. This will further strengthen our people-to-people relations”. PM Modi said.
This is the first bilateral Head of State or Government level visit from Greece to India after 15 years. The last Prime Ministerial visit from Greece to India took place in 2008. (ANI)