Sansad TV: Perspective- PM Modi In Greece | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

Following the conclusion of the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his inaugural official visit to Greece. This visit marks a significant milestone as it is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Greece in four decades. During his day-long visit, Prime Minister Modi engaged in comprehensive discussions with Greece's top leadership, held meetings with business leaders from both nations, and interacted with the Indian community residing in Athens.

• India and Greece have enjoyed a longstanding, warm, and friendly relationship, marked by consistent mutual support on matters of vital national interest, including issues such as Kashmir and Cyprus. 
• Greece's stance on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir aligns with India's concerns, as it has refrained from issuing any official statements regarding recent developments in the region. 
• Greece has also expressed support for India's aspiration to secure a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Notably, Greece backed India's endeavors in various international forums, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, as well as India's candidature for the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Postal Operations Council (POC), World Heritage Committee, and the position of External Auditor of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the term 2022-27.
• Notably, in the aftermath of India's nuclear tests in May 1998, at a time when most Western countries were considering sanctions against India, the Greek Defence Minister visited India in December 1998 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation.

Historical Ties

• India's historical connections with Greece can be traced back over 2500 years. 
• Evidence of trade between the Mauryan Kings and Greece is substantiated by ancient coins and writings. 
• The Mauryan dynasty, contemporaneous with Alexander the Great, expanded westward under Chandragupta and later his grandson Ashoka, becoming the largest Indian Empire to extend into Punjab and Afghanistan. 
• Notably, Chanakya's records in Arthashastra reference a Yavan Ambassador named Megasthenes in the Kings' court, illustrating the fusion of Indian and Greek influences in Gandhara art.

Political Relations

• Diplomatic ties between India and Greece were established in May 1950, with Greece opening its Embassy in Delhi in the same year, and India reciprocating with an embassy in Athens in 1978. 
• Greece was a participant in the six-Nation Delhi Declaration of 1985 on Nuclear Disarmament. 
• Regarding internal matters of India, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizenship (NRC), Abrogation of Article 370, Reorganization of new Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and the Judgment on Ram Janm Bhoomi-Babri Masjid, Greece's official stance is that these are internal affairs of India. 
• Greece's Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, expressed full solidarity and support for India within the European Union during the India-EU Porto Summit held on May 8, 2021. Furthermore, during the visit of the Indian External Affairs Minister in June 2021, the Framework agreement on the International Solar Alliance was signed, subsequently ratified by the Greek Parliament on March 15, 2022.

Trade and Commerce

• India's primary exports to Greece encompass a range of products, including aluminum, organic chemicals, fish and crustaceans, iron and steel, plastics, textile articles, edible fruits and nuts, coffee, tea, cashew nuts, electrical machinery, and equipment, among others. 
• In contrast, Greece's major imports from India consist of items such as aluminum foil, mineral fuels, mineral oils, products of their distillation, sulfur, lime, cement, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, and mechanical appliances.
• India had the honor of being the "Honoured Country" at the 84th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Greece's largest annual commercial exposition, from September 7 to 15, 2019, having previously held this distinction in 2009.

Defence Cooperation

• Bilateral defence cooperation between India and Greece gained momentum following the visit of the Indian Defence Minister to Greece in 1994. 
• Subsequently, there have been various military interactions, including visits by Indian National Defence College (NDC) teams in 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2022, transit by Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 ferries in 2004, which involved a landing in Greece, and two port calls by Indian Naval Ships in 2003, along with visits by four Indian Naval ships in July 2006 and 2009. 
• A "Passex" exercise was conducted by the Navy ships of both countries during a visit. 
• Additionally, during the visit of the late President Abdul Kalam to Greece in April 2007, he visited the Hellenic Aerospace Industries, where discussions on bolstering bilateral defence cooperation took place. 
• The Chief of the Hellenic Navy participated in the International Fleet Review in Vizag in February 2016. 
• Furthermore, a delegation of two pilots and one technical officer from Greece visited Tanagra Air Base in Athens in October 2016 as part of an SME exchange program involving Mirage 2000 aircraft, reciprocated by a similar visit to India by the Hellenic Air Force in August 2017.

Science and Technology

• To promote cooperation in science and technology based on equality and mutual benefit, an Agreement on Science and Technology was inked during the visit of the President of India to Greece in April 2007. 
• This agreement has since been ratified by both countries. 
• A four-member science and technology delegation from the Department of Science and Technology visited Athens for the inaugural Science and Technology Joint Committee Meeting from November 4 to 5, 2010. 
• The two sides also signed an Executive Programme (2010-2013) to initiate collaboration in various areas of mutual interest, encompassing Information and Communication Technology, Nanotechnology, Life Science and Biomedical Science, Seismology and Geodynamics, Agricultural Science, Chemical and Physical Science, Ocean and Marine Science, Environmental Science, and Renewable Energy.

Indian Community

• According to the 2011 Greek census, the Indian community in Greece numbered 11,333 individuals. 
• Presently, this community is estimated to be between 13,000 to 14,000 people. 
• They have been residing in various parts of Greece for many years, predominantly hailing from Punjab and predominantly Sikh. 
• Most Indian residents are employed in agriculture, factories, or construction. Many Indian workers who initially lacked the required documentation to stay in Greece acquired stay permits during different amnesty periods offered by the Greek government.

Conclusion

The India-Greece military relationship holds potential for further growth through the signing of extensive military cooperation memoranda, laying the groundwork for joint exercises and collaboration in technology and intelligence sharing. Prime Minister Modi welcomed Greece into the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and anticipates Greece's membership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), signifying a positive step towards enhanced cooperation between the two nations.