Press Statement by PM at the joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Greece
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 25 Aug, 2023

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Delegates from both countries, Friends from media, Namaskar! First of all, I express my condolences and on behalf of all the people of India, for the loss of lives in the tragic incidents of forest fires in Greece. Also, we wish for the speedy recovery of the injured. Friends, Greece and India- This is a natural reunion -Between the two ancient civilizations of the world, -Between the two ancient democratic ideologies of the world, and -Between the two ancient trade and cultural relations of the world. Friends, The foundation of our relationship is as ancient as it is strong. Science, art, and culture – We have learned from each other in all the fields. Today we have excellent coordination on Geopolitical, International, and Regional topics- Whether in the Indo-Pacific or in the Mediterranean. Like two old friends, we understand each other’s feelings and respect them. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Greece after a gap of 40 years. Still, neither the depth of our relations has diminished, nor has there been any decrease in the warmth of our relations. Therefore, today Mr. Prime Minister and I have decided to take the India-Greece partnership to a “strategic” level. We have decided that we will strengthen our strategic partnership by expanding our cooperation in the fields of defense and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, new and emerging technology, and skill development. Friends, In the field of defense and security, we agreed to give a boost to defense industries, along with military ties. Today we also discussed the topics of Terrorism and Cyber Security. We decided that even at the level of our National Security Advisors, there should be an institutional platform for dialogue. Mr. Prime Minister and I, agree that our bilateral trade is rapidly growing and has immense potential for further growth. Therefore, we have set a target to double our bilateral trade by the year 2030. Today, in a few moments, Mr. Prime Minister will host a business meeting. In this, we will be discussing some specific areas with business representatives of both countries. We believe that by encouraging trade and investment between our countries we can take our industrial and economic cooperation to a new level. Today an agreement was signed for cooperation in the agriculture sector. With this agreement, not only can we cooperate in agriculture and seed production but also in the fields of research, animal husbandry, and livestock production. Friends, We have decided to enter into a migration and mobility partnership agreement soon, in order to facilitate skilled migration between the two countries. We believe that to give a new shape to our ancient people-to-people relations, we should increase cooperation. We will promote cultural and academic exchanges between our educational institutions. Friends, We also had discussions on national and international issues. Greece has expressed its support for the India-EU trade and investment agreement. Both the countries support Diplomacy and Dialogue in the case of Ukraine. I thanked Greece for its cooperation in the United Nations and other international forums. I am grateful to Mr. Prime Minister for his good wishes and encouragement regarding India’s G20 Presidency. Friends, For conferring on me the Grand Cross of the Order of Honor today, I sincerely thank the people of the Hellenic Republic and the President. I accepted the award on behalf of 140 crore Indians and expressed my gratitude. The shared values of India and Greece are the foundation of our long and trusted partnership. Both countries have a historical contribution to establishing and successfully practicing the values and ideals of democracy. I firmly believe that like the Gandhara school of art, a beautiful amalgamation of Indian and Greco-Roman art, the friendship between India and Greece will also leave its indelible mark on the stone of time. Once again, I express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Prime Minister and the people of Greece for the hospitality extended to me and my delegation today, in this beautiful and historic city of Greece. Thank you very much.