“In the last year, our relationship has seen a huge upswing. It’s not often that we can say we had such a rapid exchange of Prime Ministerial visits. We have strong political comfort and people-to-people understanding. We would like more trade, more investment, more technological collaboration, and perhaps explore ways to work together on connectivity,” Jaishankar remarked.

Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis expressed Greece’s readiness to enhance bilateral relations across various sectors, including tourism, culture, and trade. He emphasized that the two countries have made significant strides in recent years and that Greece is keen on strengthening cooperation, particularly within the framework of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where both nations are members.

“In the last couple of years, the bilateral relations between Greece and India have been upscaled tremendously. We would like to upscale our bilateral relations in all respects, including tourism, culture, and trade. As members of the UNSC, we would like to echo the voice of India within the United Nations,” Gerapetritis said. “We would also like to be reliable interlocutors in the EU-India relationship. It is a unique opportunity for us as we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations,” he added.

The Greek Foreign Minister’s visit to India is part of efforts to deepen diplomatic and strategic ties between the two countries. On Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also welcomed Gerapetritis, noting that his visit would further strengthen the growing strategic partnership between India and Greece.

India and Greece have maintained a long-standing relationship, supporting each other on key international issues such as Kashmir and Cyprus. Greece has consistently aligned with India on the Kashmir issue and supported India’s bid for a permanent seat in an expanded UNSC.

The Indian community in Greece, which has steadily grown over the years, also plays a vital role in fostering people-to-people connections. According to the 2011 Greek census, there were around 11,333 Indian nationals in Greece, with current estimates ranging between 13,000 and 14,000. The majority of these expatriates are of Punjabi origin, particularly Sikhs, and are engaged in farming, construction, and manufacturing sectors.

Gerapetritis’ visit is expected to further cement India-Greece ties, with an emphasis on expanding collaboration in strategic, economic, and diplomatic areas.

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The Minister pointed out that bilateral relations between the two countries have remained “abnormal” since 2020 when peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were disturbed due to Chinese actions. Jaishankar acknowledged that while the relationship had progressed in various domains, recent events had impacted the ties negatively.

“Our relationship had progressed in many domains, but was obviously negatively affected by recent events. We are clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is a pre-requisite for the development of our ties,” Jaishankar stated. He emphasized that the immediate priority was disengagement from friction points to prevent further clashes, which has now been fully achieved.

Focus on De-escalation and Border Management

Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha that India will now shift its focus to de-escalation and effective management of the border areas. He explained that the completion of disengagement allows for a more calibrated approach to other aspects of the bilateral relationship.

The External Affairs Minister recalled the 2020 face-offs between Indian and Chinese forces in eastern Ladakh, noting that the amassing of troops by China led to violent clashes, including the Galwan Valley incident, which marked the first fatalities between the two nations in 45 years. Jaishankar credited India’s armed forces for their rapid and effective counter-deployment despite logistical challenges and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Long History of Engagement and Disruptions

Jaishankar also highlighted the long history of efforts to ensure peace along the border, which dates back to 1988 when both countries agreed to resolve the boundary issue through peaceful consultations. Over the years, several agreements were reached, including the 1993 Agreement on the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the LAC, confidence-building measures in 1996, and the 2003 Declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation.

The Minister underscored that despite the unprecedented disruptions in 2020, India remains committed to the principles of respecting the LAC, not attempting to alter the status quo unilaterally, and fully abiding by past agreements.

Diplomatic Efforts and Future Prospects

Jaishankar also shared that he recently met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where both sides agreed to convene Special Representatives and Foreign Secretary-level discussions soon. Furthermore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Laos last month, where they discussed moving from disengagement to de-escalation to build greater trust and confidence between the two nations.

The bilateral meeting, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, was the first following recent disengagement agreements and a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS summit.

India remains firm in its commitment to peace and security along the LAC, emphasizing diplomatic engagement as the way forward to restore tranquility and address future challenges.

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