{"id":37182,"date":"2023-08-26T07:29:24","date_gmt":"2023-08-26T01:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=37182"},"modified":"2025-04-22T11:46:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T06:16:13","slug":"pm-modis-visit-to-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-modis-visit-to-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"PM Modi\u2019s visit to Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why in news?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>India-Greece Bilateral Relationship<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Historical Linkages between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Political linkages between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Trade &amp; Commerce between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Defence Cooperation between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Science &amp; Technology between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural cooperation between India and Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Indian Community at Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>News Summary: PM Modi\u2019s visit to Greece<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Key highlights of the visit?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u00a0<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Why in news?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Following his visit to South Africa to attend 15<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0BRICS summit, PM Modi paid an official visit to Greece on 25 August 2023.<\/li>\n<li>This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Greece in 40 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>India-Greece Bilateral Relationship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Historical Linkages<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s contacts with Greece began over 2500 years ago. Trading between the Mauryan Kings and Greece is evidenced by coinage and writings.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>In 326 BC,\u00a0<strong>Alexander\u2019s expedition<\/strong>\u00a0led him to the North-Western part of the Indian subcontinent as far as the Hyphasis (Beas River), where\u00a0<u>he fought with King Porus, King of Pauravaa \u2013 (between the Jhelum and Chenab), and Ambhi who ruled at Taxila<\/u>.<\/li>\n<li>Chanakya, in Chandragupta\u2019s Court records in\u00a0<u>Arthashastra about Yavan Ambassador in the Kings\u2019 court, named Megasthenes<\/u>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gandhara art<\/strong>\u00a0is believed to be a fusion of Indian and Greek influences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Political linkages<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in May 1950. Greece opened its Embassy in Delhi in 1950 and India in Athens in 1978.<\/li>\n<li>On J&amp;K, Greece\u2019s position reflects our concerns. It has not issued any statement on the recent developments in Kashmir.<\/li>\n<li>Greece supports India\u2019s quest for permanent seat in an expanded UNSC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trade &amp; Commerce<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Two-way trade has grown from $507 million in 2016-17 to\u00a0<strong>$1.94 billion in 2022-23<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The main Export items from India to Greece are Aluminum, organic chemicals; fish and crustaceans; iron and steel; plastic; textile articles etc.<\/li>\n<li>The main import items from Greece are Aluminium foil; mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; sulphur; lime and cement etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Defence Cooperation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Bilateral defence cooperation received an impetus after the visit of Raksha Mantri to Greece in 1994.<\/li>\n<li>Since then, the two countries regularly cooperate with each other on defence related matters.<\/li>\n<li>INS Chennai naval ship of Indian Navy visited Souda Bay, Crete in July, 2023 and undertook a Passage Exercise with the Hellenic Naval Ship in the Aegian Sea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Science &amp; Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>With the aim of encouraging and supporting cooperation in the field of science and technology on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, the Agreement on Science &amp; Technology was signed in April 2007.<\/li>\n<li>A team of 7 scientists from ISRO\/DoS participated in the 44th Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) assembly at Athens in July, 2022.<\/li>\n<li>On the sidelines, opportunities for cooperation in Space between India and Greece were explored.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Culture<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Dimitrios Galanos a Greek, became the\u00a0<u>first European Indologist gaining world reputation<\/u>.<\/li>\n<li>His translations of Sanskrit texts into Greek made knowledge of the philosophical and religious ideas of India available to many Europeans.<\/li>\n<li>A &#8220;<strong>Dimitrios Galanos<\/strong>&#8221; Chair for Hellenic Studies has been established at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India in September 2000.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nicholas Kazanas<\/strong>, a distinguished Greek Indologist, was declared as one of the awardees of the prestigious\u00a0<strong>Padma Shri award\u00a0<\/strong>on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day of India 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Indian Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>According to 2011 Greek census, the number of Indian community is 11,333. Currently, they are estimated to be between 13000-14000.<\/li>\n<li>They have been living across various parts of Greece for many years and are predominantly from Punjab and largely Sikhs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>News Summary: PM Modi\u2019s visit to Greece<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>At the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to the Hellenic Republic recently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Key highlights of the visit<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>PM Modi conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>PM Modi was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece.<\/li>\n<li>He became the first foreign Head of Government to receive this honour.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decision to upgrade Greek-Indian bilateral ties<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The leaders of both the countries decided to upgrade Greek-Indian bilateral ties to the level of a &#8220;Strategic Partnership\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>They agreed to work to further expand bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic spheres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decision to double bilateral trade by 2030<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Appreciating the increase in bilateral trade and economic engagement in recent years, the leaders also directed that\u00a0<u>both sides shall work to double bilateral trade by 2030<\/u>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional dialogue framework at the level of National Security Advisers<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The two sides also agreed to have an institutional dialogue framework at the level of National Security Advisers besides vowing to\u00a0<u>strengthen defence industrial cooperation<\/u>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>MOU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This included the establishment of a\u00a0<u>Hellenic-Indian Joint Sub-committee on Agriculture\u00a0<\/u>for facilitating sectoral cooperation for mutual benefit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural cooperation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Both the leaders also agreed to encourage joint efforts in preserving and protecting ancient sites, and strengthen cooperation within UNESCO.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Both leaders agreed that an early finalization of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA).<\/li>\n<li>This agreement would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries.\n<ul>\n<li>Describing\u00a0<strong>ties between India and Greece as a \u201cnatural reunion\u201d,\u00a0<\/strong>PM Modi said this agreement would facilitate skilled migration between the two countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q1) What is Gandhara art?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u00a0Gandhara art refers to a distinctive style of Buddhist art that flourished in the Gandhara region, which encompasses parts of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, from the 1st century BCE to the 5th century CE. This artistic tradition emerged at a time when these regions were part of the larger Gandhara region and were influenced by various cultures, including Greek, Roman, Persian, and Indian.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q2)<\/strong> <strong>Who was Nicholas Kazanas?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Nicholas Kazanas is a contemporary scholar known for his work in the fields of linguistics, comparative mythology, and the history of ancient Indian literature. He has made contributions to the understanding of Indo-European linguistics, particularly in relation to the Sanskrit language, as well as the reconstruction of ancient Indo-European culture and mythology.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/modi-greece-pm-agree-on-strategic-partnership-doubling-trade-by-2030-8909914\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>Modi, Greece PM agree on strategic partnership, doubling trade by 2030<\/u><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiaingreece.gov.in\/page\/bilateral-relation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>Embassy of India in Athens<\/u><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mea.gov.in\/outoging-visit-detail.htm?37043\/IndiaGreece+Joint+Statement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>MEA<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gandhara art is a fusion of Indian and Greek influences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":37183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-37182","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}