UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY FOREIGN MINISTRY FOLLOWING MEETING BETWEEN PREMIERS IN NEW DELHI; CHANGES HEADER, LEDE; EDITS THROUGH
By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI (AA) – Indian and Greek prime ministers Wednesday discussed cooperation under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), according to the Indian Foreign Ministry.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who arrived in India on a two-day state visit, officials said on Wednesday.
The leaders also exchanged views on how to build cooperation under IMEC, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters in the Indian capital New Delhi.
Earlier, during the press statements by the two leaders, Mitsotakis said that through IMEC, “we see our participation as a very important aspect of this strategic partnership,” and noted that Greece “is India's gateway to Europe.”
He added: “But of course, as we discussed, in order to achieve this, we need peace in the Middle East, and stability is the necessary condition for every project that aims to increase greater prosperity of the greater region to the benefit of all countries involved.”
IMEC, a multinational railway and maritime project between India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU, aims to connect India to the Middle East and Europe to enhance trade, provide energy resources, and develop digital connectivity.
India and the UAE last week signed an inter-governmental framework agreement on the corridor.
Mitsotakis is visiting India at the invitation of Modi and will be the chief guest at the Raisina Dialogue, a multilateral conference held annually in the country.
Kwatra said the discussions between the two leaders took place in the larger context of “stronger connectivity between India and Greece and to look at all possible options that would strengthen this connectivity.”
He said IMEC is "one such corridor that would strengthen this connectivity and given the strategic importance that Greece holds in terms of its location, its importance and the manner in which Greece could partner in the corridor was discussed.”
“It would have to focus on the ports which would form part of its connectivity with this corridor. The discussions were not in an exclusive frame of reference. It was all-encompassing with the direction being positive and comprehensive.”
The foreign secretary, answering a question, also said “alignment of the corridor remains unchanged as of now.”
Mitsotakis is the first Greek head of government to visit India after 15 years.
The last prime ministerial visit from Greece to India took place in 2008.