Greece fully supports the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a “project for peace”, says Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis, admitting that the project’s planning has been delayed since the launch in September 2023 due to the Middle East conflict and the Israel-Gaza war in particular. In a written interview to The Hindu, Mr. Gerapetritis, who has arrived in Delhi for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), said Greece will open two new consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru, wants direct flights to begin and is working towards doubling trade and investment initiatives with India. While sidestepping a specific question on whether the Adani group has been granted a port terminal in the Greek ports of Kavala or Volos, Mr. Gerapetritis, who will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Delhi on Thursday (February 5, 2025) said his government welcomes all such interest by Indian companies.
What is on your agenda during your upcoming visit to India and what do you hope to achieve in terms of bilateral cooperation during the visit, which comes a year after PM Mitsotakis was here?
The Greek Prime Minister’s visit to India one year ago did in fact demonstrate our firm commitment to enhancing our Strategic Partnership. This year, in 2025, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Tomorrow (Thursday, February 6, 2025), I will meet with my counterpart, the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to discuss the significant opportunities for further developing our bilateral relations in various areas, including maritime security, shipping, trade & investments, culture, and tourism. India and Greece are pillars of stability in their respective geographical regions, namely the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean. Greece, as the oldest democracy, shares strong ties with India, which is the largest democratic nation in history. Our two countries share the characteristics of great nations rooted in ancient civilizations that have profoundly influenced and enriched humanity.
Trade between India and Greece remains very small compared to other partners and potential, with a declared ambition of doubling it only by 2030. What are the main challenges in growing this figure of approximately $1.9 billion, and which areas have the most potential?
Economic and trade relations between Greece and India present great unexplored potential. We wish to further enhance commercial two-way flows. Areas of particular interest include construction materials, food & beverages, renewable energy. As agreed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Athens in 2023, our countries are committed to doubling our bilateral trade by 2030. Upgrading EU-India relations to a strategic partnership enabled us to jointly address international issues. When trade cooperation between India and the EU advances with establishing the Free Trade Agreement (BTIA), we expect bilateral trade to record significant growth.
How has the Israel-Gaza war affected plans for the India-Middle East Economic Corridor? How viable is this corridor today and what will it take to start the IMEEC in the present Middle East conflict, given that the founder countries involved have not even been able to hold a meeting since September 2023?
Greece fully supports the visionary India Middle East Economic Corridor project and aspires to be India’s natural doorstep to Europe and beyond. Given our geostrategic position, our status as a regional energy hub, and our leadership position in global merchant shipping, we envision playing a vital role.
However, we also see IMEEC as more than just an economic corridor. It has a pronounced geostrategic component and holds the potential to become a corridor of peace, stability, and prosperity. This will greatly enhance cooperation between the participating countries, healing the wounds in the broader region and helping us increase our solidarity and resilience to future challenges. The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has delayed the project’s planning, but it must not be allowed to undermine the powerful rationale behind IMEEC. It is our resolve – that of India, Greece, and our partners in between – that we will bring this project of peace and prosperity to pass.
How will India and Greece increase connectivity, given there are no direct flights at present?
Direct flights between India and Greece would undoubtedly function as a catalyst for bridging our two countries, advancing people-to-people contacts, and deepening our economic and commercial relations. The entry into force of our bilateral Air Services Agreement in 2022 has created the necessary framework for developing direct air operations. We welcome plans from Indian and Greek airlines to connect Indian and Greek cities with direct flights, and we look forward to their commencement.
Is Greece in talks with Indian groups for ports to facilitate trading routes? Reports suggest that the Adani group has been in talks to acquire a terminal at Kavala or Volos. Could you confirm these reports?
Greece welcomes potential interest from Indian companies in investing in Greek ports, as we expect this to lead to the modernization and expansion of our country’s port infrastructure. This aligns with Greece’s aspiration to be the gateway of the groundbreaking IMEEC Corridor into the European market.
Regarding port infrastructure, Greek ports are strategically positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, which render them ideal transport hubs for connecting these three continents. Several Greek ports are already logistics centers, and we aim to enhance their capacity, increasing connectivity and promoting sea transport services further.
Your government has promised to apply stricter controls on illegal migration – do you plan to discuss this issue during your visit to India, and how can Greece and India cooperate?
As a front-line state, Greece is committed to protecting its borders, which are also borders of the European Union. Greece has been at the forefront of the fight to dismantle the networks of traffickers who take advantage of human suffering. At the same time, we have improved the condition in migration camps and have accelerated the process of asylum seekers’ applications.
Overall, we apply a strict but fair migration policy. What we are trying to do is to turn irregular migration into legal and orderly pathways of human mobility. In this respect, the Memorandum of Understanding on Migration and Mobility between Greece and India, which is currently under negotiation, is an essential step towards strengthening our cooperation in this field. Many visas are issued annually to Indian travelers for visits to Greece. In 2024, the Greek Embassy in Delhi issued more than 30,000 visas to tourists, students, workers, and business executives. And we want to expand our consular cooperation. To this end, I am glad to confirm our intention to open two new Greek Consulates in India, in Mumbai and in Bangalore. This will be a game changer in upscaling our bilateral ties and bringing our peoples closer.
What are priorities for Greece given its position in the UN Security Council this year? You are one of the few leaders to have visited both Tel Aviv/ Jerusalem and Ramallah after the conflict began – what is your prediction for this crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war in 2025?
As an elected member of the United Nations Security Council, Greece assumes an essential role in co-shaping international politics for the global security architecture. During its two-year term, 2025-2026, Greece will be vigorously promoting the six priorities it has set, namely peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law, women peace and security, climate change and security, children in armed conflicts and maritime security.
Regarding the Middle East, since the start of the conflict I have visited the area many times. In fact, I am now visiting India right after a series of meetings in Qatar, Israel, Ramallah, and Jordan, witnessing first-hand the situation on the ground. The ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon and the opening of the crossing in Rafah, combined with the new conditions in Syria, represent a significant turning point and leave room for hope that the conflicts will subside. Regarding the war in Ukraine, as we approach the third anniversary, it has proved that Russia’s aggression has been the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. We firmly oppose any form of aggression and we support a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine, that will meet the aspirations of the Ukrainian people for independence and security.
Greece will work tirelessly within the Security Council for sustainable peace in this changing geopolitical landscape. Our motto is to serve as a bridge between the North and the South, the East and the West, committed to international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
