On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis in New Delhi for bilateral discussions. During the talks, Jaishankar stressed the importance of enhancing trade, investment, and connectivity between India and Greece.

Welcoming the Greek delegation led by Gerapetritis, Jaishankar acknowledged the strengthening ties between the two nations. He also highlighted the regular exchange of Prime Ministerial visits, which reflects the deepening relationship between India and Greece.

Jaishankar said, “In the last year, our relationship has seen a huge upswing. It’s not often that we can say we had such a rapid exchange of Prime Ministerial visits. We have strong political comfort and people-to-people understanding. We would like more trade, more investment, more technological collaboration, and perhaps explore ways to work together on connectivity”.

Gerapetritis expressed Greece's desire to improve bilateral relations in all areas, including tourism, culture and trade.

“In the last couple of years, the bilateral relations between Greece and India have been upscaled tremendously. We would like to upscale our bilateral relations in all respects, including tourism, culture, and trade. As members of the UNSC, we would like to echo the voice of India within the United Nations. We would also like to be reliable interlocutors in the EU-India relationship. It is a unique opportunity for us as we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations,” Gerapetritis said.

Gerapetritis is now visiting India to improve diplomatic and strategic ties between the two countries.

On Wednesday, spokesperson of MEA Randhir Jaiswal, in his post on X, greeted the Greek minister, penned, “A warm welcome to Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis of Greece on his official visit to India. His visit will further strengthen India-Greece ties and enhance our growing strategic partnership”.

India and Greece have traditionally shared a warm and cooperative relationship, often supporting each other on significant global issues such as Kashmir and Cyprus. Greece has consistently avoided making remarks on recent developments in Jammu & Kashmir, demonstrating an understanding of India’s stance on the matter. Moreover, Athens has backed India’s bid for a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC), further strengthening their diplomatic ties.

The Indian community in Greece has witnessed steady growth over the years. As per the 2011 Greek census, the Indian population stood at 11,333, with current estimates ranging between 13,000 and 14,000. A majority of these expatriates are of Punjabi descent, particularly Sikhs, working in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. Many originally entered Greece on temporary permits and later gained residency through various amnesty programs introduced by the Greek government, the most notable in 2005.

The visit of Foreign Minister Gerapetritis is expected to further deepen India-Greece ties by enhancing collaboration across strategic, economic, and diplomatic domains.