Greek PM set for State visit to India, first in 15 years

New Delhi, Feb 17: At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece will pay a State visit to India from February 21-22, the Ministry of External Affairs announced.

This would be the first bilateral Head of State/Government level visit from Greece to India after 15 years; the last Prime Ministerial visit from Greece to India took place in 2008. The then Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, in his January 2008 visit.

Meanwhile, Greek PM Mitsotakis will be accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation. He will be the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the 9th Raisina Dialogue, 2024 in New Delhi.

He will also visit Mumbai before returning to Athens.

PM Mitsotakis will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Prime Minister Modi and PM Mitsotakis will hold bilateral discussions and PM Modi will also host a lunch banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary.

India-Greece relations have been elevated to 'Strategic Partnership' during PM Modi's visit to Greece in August 2023. Post-visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his Greece tour will add momentum to India-Greece friendship, particularly people-to-people linkages. He also welcomed Greece into the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and looked forward to Greece's membership of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), according to MEA.

The India-Greece ties are based on shared cultural values, a commitment to foster economic growth, collaboration in the fields of security and defence, shipping, and maritime, and are marked by convergence on regional and global issues. The two countries have also been cooperating closely in various multilateral forums.

India and Greece have witnessed frequent engagements with EAM Jaishankar meeting Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias today itself.

Sharing details regarding the meeting on social media platform X, Jaishankar said, "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 held a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Athanasios Ntokos, and discussed the shared vision of the Prime Ministers of India and Greece.

The meeting between the two NSAs delved into various facets of collaboration, spanning security, technology, and infrastructure.

Jaishankar met Greek NSA Ntokos on February 7, and the two exchanged views on key regional issues.

PM Modi visited Athens on August 25, 2023. Prime Minister Mitsotakis's visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen the strategic partnership between India and Greece, the MEA release added.