As we are all aware, Turkey has turned out to be an adversary of India that has not only helped Pakistan morally but also militarily. One way to make Turkey pay is to shun travel to Turkey, and also, to have a double impact, travel to Greece.
Greece has long been India’s friend. Greece and Turkey have been regional adversaries in the Aegean Sea, both asserting claims over their borders in the sea. They were on the brink of war in 1996 over islets in the Aegean Sea.
Is Greece our gateway to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea? In the years to come, can Greece provide us with the trade routes we so require? Will the coming together of the world’s oldest civilizations shape the future of the world in the years to come?
We should not forget that Greece and India have common security concerns in the Mediterranean Sea. India can help Greece in the field of cybersecurity, and Greece can assist India with regard to merchant vessels.
Greece can become an important partner in the India-Middle East-Europe #Economic Corridor launched during India’s G20 presidency last year. The other common areas of growth can be in renewable energy, infrastructure, ports and shipping, and #logistics.
The position of Greece on the world map is such that it has considerable dominance over the Mediterranean Sea. It is also a gateway to Europe. Greece is a member of NATO and has a rich cultural heritage.
India, on the other hand, is looking to expand trade ties westwards. India is also considering better defence ties with countries that have similar ideologies. The scope of defence ties with Greece is hence immense.
Greece is one country that has tremendous tourism potential, as it is known to be the birthplace of Western civilization. Greece has stunning archaeological treasures, beautiful seaside villages, and sun-soaked beaches, making it one of the most interesting places to visit for Indians. Cruise holidays between Mumbai and Greece then hold a lot of promise.
Over the past few years, Greece has given importance to defence cooperation and #military exercises between the two countries. Greece has always backed India’s position on the Kashmir issue. India and Greece have common concerns with regard to maritime security and implementation of the UN #Convention on the Law of the Sea. This law is being violated by Turkey and #China in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific almost every day.
It will be in the scheme of things if, in the future, India and Greece build upon the already existing defence ties. India can always look forward to exporting defence equipment, particularly anti-drone systems, to Greece, keeping in view that Turkey has built an extensive drone system which can be used to dominate various islands that are otherwise part of Greece. India can also seek help in shipbuilding technology from Greece, as Greece has an age-old tradition of making boats and ships. A joint collaboration between Mazgaon Dockyard and Skaramanga Shipyard can give Indian shipbuilding a major fillip. Skaramanga has expertise in ship repair and maintenance.
India and Greece must build a strategic partnership by upgrading their bilateral ties further and forging cooperation in dimensions of economic, defence, maritime, shipping, and cultural fields, as they have common interests in international and regional developments. India and Greece also have shared values of democracy, freedom, international peace and security, rules-based international order, respect for international law including UNCLOS, and human rights.
Both countries have a shared historical linkage and long-standing ties, which is at the core of their growing strategic relationship. Greece’s interest in joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative with a view to conserving and sustaining the maritime domain is a bold step. Both countries are equally affected by climate change and biodiversity loss and can work together in this direction too. One can’t help but say that, in the years to come, people-to-people contact between India and Greece must increase.
It looks like, in the future, India and Greece can shape global geopolitics in a way that suits each other’s interests. Close ties between the two countries could be beneficial for both. Greece can definitely balance the negative sentiment that Turkey is trying to generate against India at various international forums. Greece can also facilitate India’s ambition to trade with the EU via its own maritime fleet and favourable trade routes that provide India exclusive access to European markets.
