Greek PM meets Modi: How Indo-Greek ties have changed in 10 years

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on two-day state visit to India from today (21 February). This is the first trip by a Greek head of state to India after 15 years. He met PM Narendra Modi, who will host a lunch banquet for his Greek counterpart.

Mitsotakis is the chief guest and keynote speaker at the annual Raisina Dialogue held in New Delhi from 21 to 24 February. His visit is aimed at enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Greek PM is accompanied by senior officials and a business delegation. A visit to Mumbai is also on the cards.

As the Greek premier begins his India trip, let’s take a look at the bilateral ties between the two nations.

Brief history of Indo-Greek ties

India’s ties to Greece are centuries old. From Alexander the Great’s invasion in 326 BCE to trade between the Mauryan Kings and Greece, the two sides have had a rich history of economic and cultural exchanges that date back thousands of years.

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Three years after India’s Independence, India and Greece forged diplomatic relations. Greece opened its Embassy in Delhi in 1950, while India did in Athens in 1978.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the relations between the two countries are based on “shared cultural values, commitment to foster economic growth, collaboration in the fields of security and defence, shipping, maritime and marked by convergence on regional and global issues.”

India and Greece signed their first MoU on Defence Cooperation in 1998. While India’s stand on Northern Cyprus is appreciated by Greece, Athens backs India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

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Greece has also supported India on crucial global pacts regarding the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Australia Group, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Wassenaar Arrangement, noted ThePrint. 

Over the years, the relations between the two countries remained limited to tourism, trade and migration of labour, as per The Hindu. However, this has changed recently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government.

Enhancing India-Greek ties

While Indian prime ministers have visited Greece since 1983, a lack of high-level contact with Athens meant India did not form close strategic ties similar to those with other European countries such as France, Spain, Italy and Cyprus.

It was only in August 2023 during PM Modi’s visit to Athens that the bilateral ties between the two countries were upgraded to a strategic partnership. Modi, who was the first Indian PM in 40 years to visit the European country, was also conferred with Greece’s Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, the country’s second-highest civilian honour.

The two nations also decided to create a dialogue mechanism between their National Security Advisers. “We have decided that we will strengthen our strategic partnership by expanding our cooperation in the fields of defence and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, new and emerging technology, and skill development,” PM Modi said at the time.

India and Greece also agreed to double bilateral trade by 2030 and sign a migration and mobility pact “soon”.

As per ThePrint, the elevation of ties between the two countries was possible after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Greece in 2021 and laid the groundwork.

Why the partnership matters

Greece is important for New Delhi due to its strategic location as a gateway to Europe for India and the Gulf countries. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) announced last year aims to connect South and West Asia to Europe through Haifa in Israel and Piraeus in Greece, reported ThePrint. The ambitious project could be revived once tensions subside in West Asia.

Greece has emerged as a key player in India’s Mediterranean outreach, with New Delhi seeking a presence at Greek ports and a broader defence partnership, according to Economic Times (ET).

Last year, the Indian Air Force marked their maiden participation in the multinational exercise INIOCHOS 23 hosted by the Hellenic Air Force in Greece.

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The Indian Navy warship INS Chennai visited Souda Bay, Crete in July last year where it carried out a passage exercise with the Hellenic naval ship Nikiforos Fokas in the Aegean Sea.

In September 2023, four Greek F-16s participated in India’s largest air exercise – Tarang Shakti – for the first time.

Greece is ramping up its military arsenal. This could open up opportunities for India which aims to achieve an annual export target of Rs 35,000 crore by next year.

According to ThePrint, “Greece can be a useful addition to India’s engagements in the Indo-Pacific, the goal being to uphold freedom of navigation with like-minded partners”.

The two countries are seeking to strengthen cooperation in defence and shipping, as per a Mint report. India is discussing defence sales with Greece, along with cooperation in shipping and naval modernisation.

People aware of the matter told Mint that New Delhi is interested in Indian companies investing in Greek ports and in inviting Greece to explore commercial opportunities in shipping under the Make-in-India programme.

With inputs from agencies