Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Greece, the first by an Indian PM in 40 years, saw the two countries upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership with focus on expanding political, defence and security cooperation. The visit also had the Greece President Katerina N Sakellaropoulou conferring the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour on Modi. Modi is the first foreign head of government to receive the honour.
Speaking at a joint press event with his counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Modi said this was a national reunion between two ancient civilisations and that the two countries had agreed to give a boost to defence industries, along with military ties.
"Today we also discussed the topics of terrorism and cyber security," he said, announcing an institutional platform for dialogue at the level of national security advisers. Modi said both sides also set a target of doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and decided to firm up a migration and mobility partnership pact soon to facilitate skilled migration between the two countries.
The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever, and by whomsoever committed and the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.
The two countries, in a joint statement, backed their vision of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, and also the Mediterranean Sea where Greece is involved in the Aegean dispute with Turkey, in accordance with the law of the sea and freedom of navigation to the benefit of international peace, stability and security. “Today , we have excellent coordination on geopolitical, international and regional topics - whether in the Indo-Pacific or in the Mediterranean," he said. “Greece and India are a natural match between two ancient civilisations of the world, between two ancient democratic ideologies and between two ancient trade and cultural relations," Modi added.
On his part, Mitsotakis said both sides are ready to move forward to deal with various challenges, "especially in a period of upheaval and war in Ukraine".