India eyes port investment deals with global shipping power Greece
livemint.comNew Delhi: Just months after raising their bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, India and Greece are looking to deepen cooperation in defence and shipping, according to persons aware of the matter. The two sides are discussing defence sales by India to Greece, in line with New Delhi’s goal of tripling defence exports to $5 billion over the next few years.
In addition, India is looking to cooperate with Greece in shipping and naval modernization. New Delhi is interested in the possibility of Indian companies investing in Greek ports while also inviting Greece to look into commercial opportunities in shipping under the Make-in-India programme, the persons cited above said.
Queries mailed to the Embassy of Greece and the ministry of external affairs went unanswered at press time. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Greece last year, the first by an Indian premier since 1983.
“Both leaders reiterated the need for further broadening and deepening bilateral engagements, in the field of defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism and agriculture," the two countries said in a joint statement after Modi met with his Greek counterpart Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in August. India’s focus on Greece comes as part of its push to develop stronger ties with Mediterranean and central European powers.
Greece is also expected to be a key part of India’s efforts to improve trade and connectivity with Europe. Greek firms are major players in global merchant shipping, with the country’s shipowners owning a fifth of the world’s shipping fleet and almost 60% of the EU’s fleet, according to the International Trade Administration, a US government
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