Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a joint press conference alongside the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis who is on two-day visit to New Delhi from February 21-22. As the Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis arrived in India, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Prime Minister Modi and PM Mitsotakis held a bilateral discussion, and the two counterparts will attend a lunch banquet later in honour of the visiting dignitary. Addressing a joint press conference alongside his Greek counterpart, PM Modi stated that he was overwhelmed at the strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Greece. He added that Greece and India, the two strategic trade partners, have agreed to level the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and have discussed boosting the number of start-ups in both nations.

“We discussed about scores of issues including counterterrorism, and have agreed to work on areas of mutual interests such as defense and cybersecurity,” Prime Minister said. He went on to add that ‘connectivity’ is the most important area of operation between India and Greece. PM added that he and his Greek counterpart held discussions on migration and mobility partnership and have agreed to strike agreements. Certain bilateral agreements pertaining to various sectors will be effective next year, said Prime Minister.

India, Greece to double the bilateral trade by 2030

India and Greece have agreed to double the bilateral trade by 2030, as the two leaders foresee immense potential for growth in areas of defence and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education and skill development, and global peace, Prime Minister noted. The objective on both sides is to double the bilateral trade and grow side by side. 

The visit by PM Mitsotakis is the  first bilateral Head of State level trip from Greece to India after 15 years. After receiving the Guard of Honour, Mitsitakis said. “It is a privilege to be in India on an official state visit, reciprocating the visit of the Prime Minister to Greece a few months ago. For Greece, the strategic partnership between our two countries is of particular importance and we will have the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics, political consultations, strategic partnership, but also fostering our economic lives between our two economies. So it's a real privilege to be here and I'm really looking forward to the discussions we will have as the Prime Minister.” PM Modi visited Athens on 25 August 2023.