Greece – India Enter New Era of Cooperation

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo source: @PrimeMinisterGR.

Greece and India have agreed to enter a new era of cooperation in trade, tourism, and culture after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a historic visit to Athens last week.

Among others, Mitsotakis and Modi agreed to double bilateral trade activity by 2030, increasing investments and to work together in the fields of defense and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education and new technologies.

Mitsotakis also stressed the importance of introducing direct flights between Greece and India. Efforts are also being made to increase tourist flows between the two countries.

The working meeting between the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo source: @PrimeMinisterGR.

Greece is “India’s gateway to Europe, this will also open opportunities. India has made huge strides… and Greece will soon regain investment status. It is a bridge of cooperation between three continents”, said the Greek prime minister.

Modi’s visit is the first official visit to Greece by an Indian leader in 40 years. Indira Gandhi visited in 1983.

After expressing his condolences for the “loss of human lives due to the fires”, Modi referred to the “friendly ties” with Greece, adding that the two countries will further strengthen their defense industries.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the press conference. Photo source: @PrimeMinisterGR.

“Given its location and our historically close ties, I see Greece as an important economic, logistic and strategic gateway for India into the European Union and the Eastern European region in general,” said Modi in an interview to Kathimerini on Sunday.

“There are great opportunities for Indian and Greek businesses to come together. There is a commitment at the political levels to see that this happens,” he added.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Photo source: @PresidencyGR.

Modi will chair the G20 Summit on September 9-10 in New Delhi under the motto “One Earth – One Family – One Future”.

During his Athens visit last Friday, Modi also met with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou who conferred on him the Grand Cross of the Order of Honor in a special ceremony.