India and Greece pledge to upgrade ties to become strategic partners
Context
India and Greece decided to elevate their bilateral relations to that of a strategic partnership on Friday. The two nations will cooperate in the area of defence, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced in Athens. A deal on migrant mobility will also soon be finalized to facilitate the movement of both countries’ talented populations.
What are the dimensions of Indo-Greece Relations?
- Historical and Cultural Links: India and Greece have long-standing ties thanks to trade routes from antiquity and cultural exchanges that took place, especially during Alexander the Great’s war in India. In India, Hellenistic civilization has permeated literature, architecture, and the arts.
- Diplomatic Relations: In 1950, Greece and India established diplomatic ties. Since that time, both nations have participated in numerous bilateral exchanges and collaborations in fields like trade, tourism, education, and culture.
- Economic cooperation: Although trade between the two nations has been limited, it has the potential to increase. India imports a lot of goods from Greece, including machinery, medicines, and textiles, whereas Greece imports goods from India, including textiles, chemicals, and food items.
- Defence Cooperation: Although it is not a key element of the relationship, there have been some discussions on defence cooperation, including conversations about future partnerships and defence technologies.
- Diaspora: Although it is a small community, Greece’s Indian diaspora has helped to forge ties between the two nations. The business and academic sectors are where the Greek diaspora in India is mostly concentrated.
What are the decisions taken in the recent visit by PM Modi to Greece?
- Defence cooperation: The two nations have decided to work together in this area. This might entail collaboration between the defence industry and other sectors, military training, and perhaps joint operations.
- Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour on Friday in Athens.
- Migration Mobility: An agreement on migration mobility is about to be finalized between India and Greece. The goal of this agreement is to make it easier for people with skills to migrate between the two countries.
- Support for Freedom of Navigation: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, declared support for freedom of navigation. He emphasized worries about this matter in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
- Increasing Defense Industry and Military Links: This shows a strengthening of security cooperation. Both parties have committed to increasing their defence industry and military links.
- Exchanges in the Arts and Sciences: The two nations intend to encourage exchanges in the arts and sciences between their educational institutions. Knowledge sharing and a deeper understanding of one another’s cultures can result from this
