Piyush Goyal discusses deepening trade, tourism ties with Greece Minister
New Delhi, March 20
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Greece's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Harry Theoharis, on Friday discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, maritime connectivity and other areas of mutual interest.
Goyal held a virtual meeting with Theoharis to further deepen India-Greece cooperation in these areas, the commerce minister said on social media platform X.
"India values its growing partnership with Greece and looks forward to advancing this engagement further," he added.
In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on the sidelines of the ongoing AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and discussed boosting connectivity especially through India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The two leaders reviewed various aspects of India-Greece strategic partnership, especially in the field of trade and commerce, defence and security, tourism, culture and collaboration in AI and other emerging technologies, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.
"The leaders discussed boosting connectivity especially through IMEC and looked forward to the early implementation of India-EU FTA which will bring immense benefits to the economy of both countries and lead to higher tech collaboration, investments and jobs, particularly for the youth. The Prime Minister thanked PM Mitsotakis of Greece for his strong support to India in its fight against terrorism," the statement said.
The IMEEC will comprise two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Gulf and the northern corridor connecting the Gulf to Europe.
The corridor intends to enhance connectivity, increase efficiency, reduce costs, secure regional supply chains, increase trade accessibility and generate jobs, resulting in a transformative integration of Asia, Europe and Middle East.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who loves to travel, I'm excited about the tourism part! Greece is on my bucket list. Easier visas and direct flight connectivity would be amazing. Maybe we'll see more affordable tour packages soon.
Good move, but I hope the focus on "higher tech collaboration" and AI actually translates into opportunities for Indian tech professionals and startups, not just big corporations. The youth need those jobs.
IMEC sounds promising on paper. Reducing costs and securing supply chains is crucial. But let's see the actual implementation and timelines. These corridors take years, and we need to ensure Indian businesses benefit first and foremost.
Cultural exchange is just as important as trade. We have ancient historical ties with the Hellenistic world. Would love to see more student exchanges, archaeological collaborations, and festivals celebrating our shared heritage.
The mention of Greece's support in the fight against terrorism is significant. Strategic partnerships need to be built on shared security concerns as well. Solid diplomacy at work here.
While I appreciate the forward-looking statements, I respectfully hope the government also ensures transparency in these deals. The India-EU FTA has been talked about for years. Let's
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.