Old ties: On the India and Greece Bilateral Relationship

Context: 

Recently, the Indian Prime Minister visited Greece, the first by an Indian premier in 40 years, to strengthen bilateral ties.

A Strategic Partnership:

• A long-term interaction between two countries based on various factors like political, economic, social and historical. 

Agreements between both Nations:

• To establish a Strategic Partnership
• A dialogue mechanism between their National Security Advisers
• A skilled migration and mobility partnership
• Cooperation to complete negotiations for the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Negotiation on Connectivity partnership

Relations between both Nations:

• Historical Relations: Connectivity between the two countries came by Alexander’s invasion in 326 BCE.
  • Democracy: India is the most populous democracy, while Greece is the first democracy.
• Present Relations: Exchanges now have been mainly predicated on tourism, trade (about $2 billion) and migration of labor. 
• Expectations: 
  • Converging of Ambitions: India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub and Greece’s aspirations to become an “economic gateway” to the EU could now be a converging point. 
  • Restoration of Artifacts: Both held discussions on the restoration of artifacts and may find common cause in pushing legislation through UNESCO to help restore some of their historical property.
• Challenges faced by both Nations:
  • Maritime Security: India and Greece, once ancient maritime powers, face concerns over the maintenance of maritime security in keeping with international laws. 
    • It is the common interest that binds the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions. 

Significance of the Visit:

• An Opportunity to Grab Option: Greece has overcome several years as an “economic trouble-spot” and once over-indebted to Chinese investment, seeks to diversify its options.
• Counter Turkey: Greece has strengthened ties with Israel and Cyprus, which is seen as a coalition to counter Turkey. 
  • With strong relations with Greece, India might find some common ground, over Turkey’s role in the OIC and over Kashmir. 

Conclusion: 

India-Greece bilateral relations have neither been “diminished” nor has the warmth decreased despite no Indian Prime Minister having visited Greece since 1983. Now it’s high time for India to build close strategic ties with Greece like other nearby countries in Europe such as France, Spain, Italy and Cyprus and work on a decided aim to double bilateral trade by 2030. 

News Source: The Hindu