New Delhi: Prime Minister Modi and Greece's PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday reinforced their commitment to build in this regard the partnership in the Mediterranean Sea as also in the Indo-Pacific, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.
Addressing a special media briefing following the bilateral talks between PM Modi and Greece PM, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said, "The leaders exchanged views on how to build cooperation in the context of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). Greek PM also conveyed the decision by Greece to join the Indo-Pacific Ocean initiatives led by India".
The two leaders also exchanged their common concerns about the challenge of terrorism and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. On the climate change action, as informed by Foreign Sec Kwatra, the Greek PM underlined the importance of India's leadership in international solar reliance.
PM Modi also highlighted the work that India is doing and the scope of building a partnership with Greece in so far as the alliance of the CDRI is concerned, this is the coalition on disaster resilience..." Several MoUs and understandings have also been arrived at separately between the private sectors as also between the think tanks of the two countries.
"The return visit of the PM of Greece within six months of the Indian PM's visit to Greece brings to the fore the shared commitment of the two sides to deepen their strategic partnership. The comprehensive and rich discussions today focused on all aspects of the building economic, political as security partnership", Kwatra told reporters.
On the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the discussions were not limited to identifying the segments in which the partnership would take place. "The discussions took place in the larger context of stronger connectivity between India and Greece and to look at all possible options that would strengthen this connectivity," he said.
"India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor is one such corridor that would strengthen this connectivity...It would have to focus on the ports which would form part of its connectivity with this corridor. I don't think the discussions were in an exclusive frame of reference. It was all-encompassing with the direction being positive and comprehensive", the Foreign Secretary added.
He further noted that there is a significant presence of Indian businesses in Greece. "Whether it be in the field of pharmaceuticals or chemicals or infrastructure, Indian companies already have a strong economic presence in Greece. The two leaders identified new areas in which this economic presence could be built", Kwatra said.
On discussions between the two PMs regarding ports, Kwatra said, "The discussions were not limited to one particular context. While no specific ports came up in the conversation, the idea was how exactly you enhance the strategic connection between the two economies through the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor, and in that context, if you have to use particular ports, what would be the framework of such cooperation in the port sector, in the logistics sector, in the shipping aspect of it? So no specific ports were discussed".
The Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is currently on a visit to New Delhi to attend the Raisina dialogue. He is the chief guest of this year's Raisina dialogue. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, India-Greece relations have been elevated to ‘Strategic Partnership’ during PM Modi’s visit to Greece in August last year.
They are based on shared cultural values, commitment to fostering economic growth, and collaboration in the fields of security and defense, maritime, and marked by convergence on regional and global issues. The two countries have also been cooperating closely in various multilateral forums. PM Modi visited Athens on 25 August last year.
