PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis

Athens [Greece]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday met his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and held a bilateral meeting during his long-day visit to the country.

In the meeting, other than the two leaders, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis was also present.

Prime Minister Modi had previously met the Greek Prime Minister in New York in September 2019 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Earlier, PM Modi called on Greece President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The Greek president congratulated PM Modi on the success of India’s moon mission Chandrayaan-3. In response to her congratulatory message, PM Modi said, “The success of Chandrayaan-3 is not only of India alone but it is a success for the whole of humankind… The results of the data collected by the Chandrayaan-3 mission will help the entire scientific fraternity and humankind.”

PM Modi today commenced his visit to Greece by paying tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. Later on, he received a ceremonial guard of honour.

PM Modi arrived in Athens this morning, after attending the 15th BRICs summit in Johannesburg, for his maiden visit to Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At the Athens International Airport, PM Modi was received by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.

He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ and ‘Modi, Modi.’

PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years to visit Greece. The last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983. Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had visited New Delhi in 2019.

India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties.