Indian Ambassador meets Greek military chief
Athens, Aug 11
India's Ambassador to Greece, Ravi Shankar, on Tuesday met the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Indian Embassy in Athens said.
"Meeting between the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, and the Ambassador of India to Greece, Mr. Ravi Shankar," the Indian Embassy wrote on X, sharing a glimpse of the meeting.
Last month, the Ambassador met Lt. Gen. Demosthenes Grigoriadis, Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff and discussed the ongoing initiatives of cooperation between the two air forces.
According to the Indian Embassy in Greece, India's participation in INIOCHOS - a major annual multinational air combat training exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force - and Greece's participation in Tarang Shakti - the Indian Air Force's (IAF) largest biennial multinational air combat exercise - have fostered mutual understanding and partnerships.
"Ambassador Ravi Shankar met Lt Gen Mr. Demosthenes Grigoriadis, Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff. He discussed the ongoing initiatives of cooperation between our two Air Forces. India's participation in INIOCHOS and Greece's in Tarang Shakti has fostered mutual understanding and partnerships," the Embassy wrote on X.
The Indian Ambassador also met Giorgos Chioureas, Mayor of the West Mani region, and discussed areas of potential collaboration with the West Mani region, with regard to the workforce from India.
"Ambassador Mr. Ravi Shankar met Mr Giorgos Chioureas, Mayor of the West Mani region. He discussed areas of potential collaboration with the West Mani region, viz workforce from India in hospitality, construction and the farm sector. Tourism, both inbound and outbound, is another promising area," the Embassy stated.
On July 16, Ambassador Ravi Shankar presented his Letter of Credence to the President of Greece and conveyed wishes on behalf of the Indian leadership.
"Ambassador Ravi Shankar presented his Letter of Credential to His Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic of Greece. Amb conveyed to the President warm wishes on behalf of our leadership and assured him of actively working to add substance to the India-Greece Strategic Partnership," the Embassy stated on X.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see the workforce angle too - Indian professionals in hospitality, construction, and farming in Greece. This is a win-win: Greece needs skilled workers and our people get international exposure. Hope the embassy ensures proper contracts and fair wages for our workers.
Defence cooperation is good but let's not forget the bigger picture - Greece is facing economic challenges and Turkey is a common neighbour with whom we have our own issues. A closer partnership with Athens makes strategic sense. Nice to see our diplomats actively engaging at multiple levels - military, political, and economic.
The tourism angle is promising! More Greek tourists visiting India and vice versa. Our cultural heritage is so rich and Greece is all about ancient civilisation too - there's so much to explore and learn from each other. Plus Indian workers getting opportunities abroad is always good news. 🙌
While military exercises are important, I hope our government is also focusing on trade agreements and technology transfers. The workforce discussions are good but we need to ensure our skilled professionals are not treated as cheap labour abroad. Let's hope the embassy negotiates strong MOUs that protect our workers' rights.
This is what proactive diplomacy looks like! Meeting with the military chief, the air force head, and even the local mayor - covering all bases. Greece is an important partner in the EU and a gateway to Europe. The west is finally recognising India's strategic importance. Happy to see this progress! 🌟
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