State Visit of Prime Minister of Greece to India

22-02-2024

01:16 PM

1 min read

Mains GS-II: International Relations & Institutions

State Visit of Prime Minister of Greece to India Blog Image

What’s in today’s article?

Why in news?
What is Raisina Dialogue?
India-Greece Bilateral Relationship
Historical Linkages between India and Greece
Political linkages between India and Greece
Trade & Commerce between India and Greece
Defence Cooperation between India and Greece
Science & Technology between India and Greece
Cultural cooperation between India and Greece
Indian Community at Greece
News Summary: State Visit of Prime Minister of Greece to India
Key highlights

Why in news?

Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (Greece), Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on a State visit to India from 21-22 February 2024.
PM Mitsotakis will be the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the 9th Raisina Dialogue, 2024 in New Delhi.

Raisina Dialogue

About
- It is an annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, which aims to address the most challenging issues faced by the world.
- The conference takes place in New Delhi and is attended by people from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds.
Institutions involved
- Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, hosts the conference.
Theme of the 2024 edition:“Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create”.

India-Greece Bilateral Relationship

Historical Linkages

India’s contacts with Greece began over 2500 years ago. Trading between the Mauryan Kings and Greece is evidenced by coinage and writings.
In 326 BC, Alexander’s expedition led him to the North-Western part of the Indian subcontinent as far as the Hyphasis (Beas River), where he fought with Raja Puru, King of Pauravaa - between the Jhelum and Chenab), and Ambhi who ruled at Taxila.
Chanakya, in Chandragupta’s Court records in Arthashastra about Yavan Ambassador in the Kings’ court, named Megasthenes.
Gandhara art is believed to be a fusion of Indian and Greek influences.

Political linkages

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.
The relationship was elevated to ‘strategic partnership’ during Modi’s visit to Greece in August 2023.

Trade & Commerce

Two-way trade has grown from $507 million in 2016-17 to $1.94 billion in 2022-23.
- During this period, India’s exports stood at $785.72 million and imports at $1.16 billion.
The main Export items from India to Greece are Aluminum, organic chemicals; fish and crustaceans; iron and steel; plastic; textile articles etc.
The main import items from Greece are Aluminium foil; mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; sulphur; lime and cement etc.

Defence Cooperation

Bilateral defence cooperation received an impetus after the visit of Raksha Mantri (RM) to Greece in 1994. Since then, the two countries regularly cooperate with each other on defence related matters.

Science & Technology

With the aim of encouraging and supporting cooperation in the field of science and technology, the Agreement on Science & Technology was signed in April 2007.
A team of 7 scientists from ISRO/DoS participated in the 44th Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) assembly at Athens in July, 2022.
On the sidelines, opportunities for cooperation in Space between India and Greece were explored.

Cultural cooperation

Dimitrios Galanos a Greek, became the first European Indologist gaining world reputation.
His translations of Sanskrit texts into Greek made knowledge of the philosophical and religious ideas of India available to many Europeans.
A "Dimitrios Galanos" Chair for Hellenic Studies has been established at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India in September 2000.
Nicholas Kazanas, a distinguished Greek Indologist, was declared as one of the awardees of the prestigious Padma Shri award on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day of India 2021.

Indian Community at Greece

According to 2011 Greek census, the number of Indian community is 11,333. Currently, they are estimated to be between 13000-14000.
They have been living across various parts of Greece for many years and are predominantly from Punjab and largely Sikhs.

News Summary: State Visit of Prime Minister of Greece to India

The PM of Greece, Mr. Mitsotakis, is on a two-day visit to India primarily to grace the Raisina Dialogue as the chief guest.
This visit marked the Greek Prime Minister’s first visit to India in 16 years.

Key highlights

Mobility and migration partnership agreement
- India and Greece will soon sign a mobility and migration partnership agreement to ease skilled migration between the two countries.
- The pact would provide employment opportunities for Indians in Greece besides easing flow of students and business people between the two countries.
Towards doubling the bilateral trade by 2030
Defence cooperation: Both the countries agreed to work towards co-production and co-development of military hardware.
Other areas of cooperation
- Both sides also resolved to cooperate in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
- PM Modi also referred to the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
  - Launched in September 2023, the IMEC is seen as an initiative by like-minded nations to gain strategic influence in the face of China’s BRI.
- He said IMEC would make a significant contribution to the development of humanity in the long run.
- Both leaders emphasized shipping and connectivity as priority areas for cooperation, alongside a reaffirmed commitment to combat terrorism.
75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Greece in 2025
- Plans were outlined to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Greece in 2025, showcasing shared heritage and achievements on the global stage.

Q1) What is Gandhara art?

Gandhara 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.

Q2) Who was Nicholas Kazanas?

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.