India and Greece have decided to elevate their bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership and strengthen their cooperation in defence & security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, new & emerging technology and skill development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

In the field of defence & security, the two countries will not only promote military ties but also strengthen industrial cooperation, he said in a statement to the media after talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

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Describing India and Greece as a “natural match”, Modi said the foundation of the ties between the two countries is ancient and strong. “Greece and India are a natural match between two ancient civilisations of the world, between two ancient democratic ideologies and between two ancient trade and cultural relations. The foundation of our relationship is ancient and strong,” he said.

He said both sides also focused on enhancing cooperation to combat terrorism. As part of it, the two countries will institutionalise dialogue between their National Security Advisors (NSAs).

Referring to the Ukraine crisis, Modi said India and Greece support diplomacy and dialogue to resolve it.

The Greek leader said both sides are ready to move forward to deal with various challenges, ”especially in a period of upheaval and war in Ukraine”.

In recent years ”our relations have greatly improved and there is scope for a very wide-range of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, defence, culture and tourism”, he said. ”Our first objective is to double our bilateral trade,” he said.

Modi noted that it is after a long gap of 40 years that any Indian PM has come to Greece Indira Gandhi visited the country in 1983. “After a long gap of 40 years, an Indian Prime Minister has come to Greece. Still, the depth and warmth of our relations have not decreased. So, the (Greek) PM and I have decided to take India-Greece relations to a strategic level,” PM Modi said.

A joint statement issued at the end of talks between the two leaders said they shared their vision of a free, open and rules-based Mediterranean Sea and Indo-Pacific, in accordance with the law of the sea, in particular the provisions of the UNCLOS, and with full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation to the benefit of international peace, stability and security.

Appreciating the increase in bilateral trade and economic engagement in recent years, the leaders also directed that both sides shall work to double bilateral trade by 2030.

Both leaders agreed that an early finalisation of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries.