India-Greece Relationship

Why in the News?

India and Greece recently agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties to the level of strategic partnership.

News in detail:

1. Collaboration in the field of defence industry and military links.
2. Conclude an agreement on migration mobility to
   1. Smoothen movement of skilled population of both sides.
   2. Promote cultural and academic exchanges between educational institutions
   3. Increase people-to-people contacts
3. Commitment to freedom of navigation given that concerns exist both in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific region. Greece has maritime dispute with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
4. Expansion of cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, education, new and emerging technology, and skill development.
5. Decision to have an institutional platform for dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors.

India-Greece Bilateral Relations:

Both countries share a common commitment to democracy, peace and development in the world and to a social system filled with principles of justice and equality.

Historical Linkages:

1. Trading between the Mauryan Kings and Greece has been proved by coinage and writings.
2. In 326 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the North-Western part of the Indian subcontinent.
3. Megasthenes, the Greek Ambassador was mentioned in the accounts of Chanakya, in Chandragupta’s Court records in Arthashastra.
4. Gandhara art is believed to be a fusion of Indian and Greek influences.

Political relations:

1. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1950.
2. When India’s conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, most Western countries-imposed sanctions against India but the Greek Defence Minister visited India and signed a MOU on Defence Cooperation.
3. Greece has time and again respected India’s sovereignty and declined to interfere in its internal matters such as Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)/National Register of Citizenship (NRC), Abrogation of Article 370, Reorganization of new Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
4. Greece has extended full support to India’s quest for a Permanent Seat in an expanded UNSC.
5. Greece has supported India at the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group, MTCR, WASSENAAR arrangements and Australia Group.

Defence Cooperation:

1. Goodwill visits to Greece by ships of Indian Navy.
2. Passex excercise was undertaken by the Navy ships of both the countries in 2017.
3. The Air Force exercise of Greece ‘Iniochos 2021’, 6 countries participated: France, UAE, Spain, Israel, United States and Canada and India was the only country to be invited as an observer.

Economic, Commerce and trade:

1. Greece invited Indian companies to participate in Greece’s growth in the post-economic crisis period.
2. India-Greece Business Forum: It reflected the strong interest of the business communities of both countries to forge commercial partnerships.

Science & Technology:

1. Agreement on Science & Technology was signed between the two countries in 2007 and ratified by both later. It included cooperation in the areas of:
   1. Joint research and technological development projects
   2. Exchange of scientists, researchers and technical experts
   3. Exchange of scientific and technological information
   4. Joint use of research and development facilities and scientific equipment
   5. Organization/participation in meetings / conferences and other forms of cooperation mutually agreed upon.
2. Executive Programme (2010-2013) was signed between two nations for cooperation in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, Nanotechnology, Life Science and Biomedical Science, Seismology and Geodynamics.

Indian Community:

1. As per 2011 census data, 11,333 which includes a few thousand Indians without proper documents are living in the Greece.
2. They mainly hail from Punjab and largely Sikhs.
3. Most Indians are farm, factory or construction workers or petty shop-keepers.

Covid-19 related:

1. Greece imported emergency medicine of five tons of hydroxychloroquine in its fight against Covid-19 in 2020.
2. When the Covid cases spiked in India, the Greek Government donated 90 Oxygen Cylinders with total capacity of 440 litres and some medical protection devices (Mask, Gloves etc.) to India, through EU.