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India, Greece Deepen Defence Ties with Naval Talks & Industrial Roadmap

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held wide-ranging discussions with Greek Navy Chief Vice Admiral Dimitrios Eleftherios to advance bilateral defence cooperation. The talks focused on critical areas like maritime security, shipbuilding, and autonomous systems. This follows a recent meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Greek counterpart, which resulted in a key agreement to post a Greek officer at India's IFC-IOR. The two nations have also signed a joint declaration to strengthen defence industrial cooperation and exchanged a military cooperation plan for 2026.

Key Points: India-Greece Defence Talks: Naval Cooperation & Industrial Plan

  • High-level naval talks in Delhi
  • Focus on maritime security & shipbuilding
  • Greek officer to join Indian Ocean centre
  • Defence industrial roadmap signed
  • Military cooperation plan for 2026 exchanged
2 min read

Defence representatives from Greece, India hold talks on deepening cooperation

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh meets Greek Navy Chief. Talks focus on maritime security, shipbuilding, and a new defence industrial roadmap.

"India attaches great importance to its longstanding, time-tested partnership with Greece - Rajnath Singh"

New Delhi, February 16

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Monday met Chief of the Greek Navy Vice Admiral Dimitrios Eleftherios and discussed ways to advance defence cooperation between both nations.

Singh and Eleftherios's talks focused on commitment to strengthen Strategic Partnership.

In a post on X, the Ministry of Defence said, "Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh met Chief of the Hellenic Navy VAdm Dimitrios Eleftherios and held wide-ranging discussions to advance India-Greece defence cooperation. Discussions focused on maritime security, shipbuilding and autonomous platforms, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the Strategic Partnership."

Kataras, was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns in the national capital on Monday. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi welcomed his Greek counterpart upon his arrival at South Block.

Earlier this morning, Vice Admiral Kataras visited the National War Memorial to lay a wreath and pay respects to fallen heroes.

These ceremonial engagements formed part of a broader sequence of high-level interactions between India and Greece, building on the momentum of recent diplomatic efforts. Earlier, on February 9, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic, Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias, in New Delhi.

During that meeting, the two sides agreed to further strengthen defence cooperation, including a landmark decision to position a Greek International Liaison Officer at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.

Expanding on this strategic framework, India and Greece also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on strengthening bilateral defence industrial cooperation, which will serve as the starting point for developing a five-year roadmap. In addition, the two countries exchanged the Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026, outlining the specific scope of military engagements between their armed forces, according to a Ministry of Defence release.

Speaking during the interaction, Rajnath Singh contextualized these developments by stating that India attaches great importance to its longstanding, time-tested partnership with Greece, based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and the rule of law.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see India expanding its defence ties beyond the usual partners. Greece has a strong naval tradition. Collaboration on shipbuilding and autonomous platforms can really boost our 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector. Hoping for some tech transfer!
R
Rohit P
While I appreciate the diplomatic effort, I hope these talks translate into concrete action and not just another memorandum of understanding that gathers dust. We've signed many such declarations in the past. The five-year roadmap needs to be public and have clear milestones.
S
Sarah B
The ceremonial aspects—the guard of honour, wreath laying at the War Memorial—show such respect. It's important diplomacy is done with this level of dignity. Builds a strong foundation for the actual strategic talks.
V
Vikram M
Greece is a NATO member and a key player in the Mediterranean. This partnership gives India a valuable window into European security dynamics. In today's multipolar world, we need friends in every region. Smart foreign policy.
K
Kavya N
Shared values of peace and rule of law, as the Defence Minister said, are key. But let's also be practical. Hope this leads to more joint exercises, port visits, and maybe even some Greek investment in our defence corridors. Jai Hind!

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