Your Excellency, Minister of External Affairs of India,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Dear friends,
Namaskar,
I am honored to be here, and I would like to warmly thank the Minister of External Affairs of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry for organizing today’s event.
I just had a very productive meeting with Foreign Minister Jaishankar, an experienced diplomat, and a dynamic politician who, under Prime Minister’s Modi leadership, has offered his best offices to build a strong relationship between Greece and India, a strategic partnership, based on common values and principles: democracy, peace, justice, respect for international law and a rules-based international order.
Dear friends,
We are living in a unique moment of transition; India as a member of the BRICS and, during its G20 Presidency, has emerged as the voice of the Global South. We need this loud voice in multilateral diplomacy, to offer its good services to raise concerns, promote understanding between North and South, and provide a sober view of the East to the West.
I often say that our world is full of uncertainties; thus, in these challenging times, we need flexible, resourceful, and multi-faceted diplomacy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
India is among the world’s fastest-growing large economies and is undoubtedly a significant trade and investment partner of the European Union, to which Greece is one of the oldest members. In a constantly changing geopolitical era, the role of the India-EU partnership is pivotal in fostering stability and prosperity.
The India-Europe partnership offers unique opportunities and perspectives for businesses. Not only does it fortify economic ties, but it also sets a positive example for global cooperation.
Opportunities for Indian businesses in Europe include access to half a billion consumers, well-established infrastructure, a stable and mature business environment, and a highly skilled and educated workforce. Moreover, the fact that the EU is a single market, without trade barriers between its member states, allows the unhindered access of Indian businesses to a large customer base.
There is a popular saying “Wherever Indians go, there is prosperity”.
And I am convinced that the India Middle East Europe Corridor (IMEC) will bring India, thus prosperity to Europe.
Greece aspires to be an integral part of this visionary project, being the gateway of India to the EU. This ambitious connectivity project will enhance the strategic importance of the regions involved, both economically and geopolitically and promote peace and stability.
To this effect, yesterday I travelled alongside with my Deputy Minister Kostas Fragogiannis and more than 100 Greek businesspeople, some of them are present at this moment, who will have the opportunity to investigate possibilities of partnership and interaction here in India.
Distinguished friends,
Inter-regional cooperation, interconnectivity, synergies, and interaction make our world more secure, more resilient, and therefore more peaceful.
Please allow me to conclude with a quotation from Minister Jaishankar’s latest book, reflecting the aspirations of contemporary India but also the perception of the world vis-à-vis India:
“India matters through the power of its ideas and actions as an engine of global economy, a hub of innovation or a democracy that delivers…
India’s economic progress contributes to a rebalancing and multipolarity that is still unfolding.”
Thank you.
February 20, 2024