Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis To Make Historic State Visit To India

Upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece is scheduled to make a State visit to India on February 21-22, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs.

This visit would mark the first time in 15 years that a Greek Head of State or Government has visited India at this level. The most recent visit by a Greek Prime Minister to India occurred in 2008, when Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis was accompanied by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis in January of that year.

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis will be joined by high-ranking officials and a prominent business group. He is set to attend the 9th Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi as the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker. He will also visit Mumbai before returning to Athens.

PM Mitsotakis will receive a formal welcome at the entrance of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Prime Minister Modi and PM Mitsotakis will have one-on-one talks, and PM Modi will also throw a lunch banquet to honor the visiting leader.

During PM Modi's trip to Greece in August 2023, the relationship between India and Greece was upgraded to a 'Strategic Partnership'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that his visit would enhance the friendship between India and Greece, with a focus on people-to-people connections. Additionally, he expressed India's support for Greece's inclusion in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and anticipated Greece's participation in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The relationship between India and Greece is built on common cultural values, a dedication to promoting economic development, cooperation in security and defense, shipping, and maritime activities, and is characterized by alignment on regional and global matters. Additionally, the two nations have closely collaborated in numerous international forums.

India and Greece have had regular interactions, with EAM Jaishankar meeting Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias today.

Discussing information about the gathering on social media platform X, Jaishankar mentioned, "Glad to meet Minister of National Defence of Greece @NikosDendias on #MSC2024 sidelines. Shared perspectives on the major security challenges facing the world today."

On February 8, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with Athanasios Ntokos, the National Security Advisor of Greece, to talk about the common goals of the Prime Ministers of India and Greece.

The discussion between the two National Security Advisors covered a wide range of areas for cooperation, including security, technology, and infrastructure.

Jaishankar had a meeting with Greek NSA Ntokos on February 7, during which they discussed important regional matters.

On August 25, 2023, PM Modi traveled to Athens. The visit of Prime Minister Mitsotakis is anticipated to enhance the strategic partnership between India and Greece, according to the MEA release.

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