'Looking Forward To Opening New Chapter': Modi Reaches Greece, First Visit By Indian PM In 40 Years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Greece after his three-day visit to South Africa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the ancient city of Athens in Greece on Friday on the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the European country in 40 years. Modi’s trip to Greece comes after his three-day visit to South Africa’s Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit. “From South Africa, I will travel to Athens, Greece on 25 August 2023 at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece. This will be my first visit to this ancient land,” Modi said in his departure statement on Tuesday.
“Contacts between our two civilizations stretch back over two millennia. In modern times, our ties have been strengthened by shared values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism. Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defence, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer,” he added.
“I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our multifacted relationship,” Modi said as he left for the first leg of his visit.
India’s Ambassador to Greece, Rudrendra Tandon also looked forward to Modi’s visit saying it will give a new “impetus” to their close bilateral relationship.
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"I cannot pre-judge the discussions between the two prime ministers, but certainly the fact that this visit is taking place is the result of a thinking at the highest political levels to bring a new lens to an otherwise very good relationship,” Tandon told PTI in an interview.
Greece backed India in the aftermath of the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran when several countries slapped the country with sanctions. Athens has also supported India in its candidature for becoming a permanent member of the reformed UN Security Council.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a business delegation and an interaction with business leaders is slated from both the countries along with Mitsotakis. Modi will also meet with Greece President Katerina Sakellaropoulou during his visit.
The last high-level visit to Greece took place in September 1983 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi travelled to the country.
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