‘Great opportunities’: Modi speaks to Kathimerini about his historic visit to Greece
The visit of Narendra Modi to Athens Friday holds special significance for Greece’s foreign policy, as it marks the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in four decades.
As revealed in an interview between Modi and Kathimerini’s Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas, to be published in its entirety in Sunday’s edition of Kathimerini newspaper, Greece’s aspiration to become the entry point for India into the European Union is also a goal shared by the Indian prime minister.
More specifically, responding to a question about the potential for increased investment and travel between the two nations, Modi answered, “Given its location and our historically close ties, I see Greece as an important economic, logistic and strategic gateway for India into the European Union and the Eastern European region in general.”
Furthermore, Modi envisions “great opportunities” in nurturing closer connections between Greek and Indian enterprises, underpinned by a mutual dedication from both parties to bring this approach to fruition.
“There are great opportunities for Indian and Greek businesses to come together. There is a commitment at the political levels to see that this happens. Prime Minister [Kyriakos] Mitsotakis has shown excellent leadership over the last 4-5 years in managing the Greek economy which has successfully transitioned from a crisis ridden economy to a bright zone in Europe,” he said.
“That is quite an achievement and opens up new possibilities in our relationship. Indian companies are always looking to invest abroad,” he added.
Modi conveyed his assurance in the efficacy of India’s “Make in India” initiative to reshape the nation into a worldwide manufacturing hub.
“I would like to see Indian and Greek companies using the Hellenic Republic’s strategic geography to create value chains linking Indian and Greek companies to the wider EU market,” he said.
