India and Greece Formalize Five-Year Defence Cooperation Roadmap
In a significant development for bilateral relations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Greece's Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Georgios S. Dendias have jointly charted a comprehensive five-year roadmap for defence cooperation. The high-level meeting took place in Delhi, marking a pivotal moment in the evolving strategic partnership between the two nations.
Strengthening Time-Tested Strategic Ties
During the discussions, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the growing strength and depth of India-Greece relations, describing the partnership as both time-tested and fundamentally strategic in nature. The minister highlighted that the two countries share common foundational values including peace, stability, freedom, and a steadfast adherence to the rule of law. This shared value system forms the bedrock upon which enhanced cooperation is being built.
Singh recalled the recent elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level, which was initiated following the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Greece in 2023. This strategic framework was further reinforced and solidified during the Greek Prime Minister's reciprocal visit to India in February 2024, creating a robust diplomatic foundation for current and future collaboration.
Comprehensive Joint Statement and Multifaceted Cooperation
The meeting culminated in the issuance of a detailed joint statement aimed at promoting and expanding cooperation across several critical domains. The key areas of focus outlined in the statement include:
- Defence and Security Collaboration: Enhancing military-to-military relations, joint exercises, and defence technology partnerships.
- Economic Engagement: Strengthening trade and investment ties between the two economies.
- India-EU Relations: Leveraging Greece's position within the European Union to foster stronger India-EU strategic dialogue.
- Multilateral Coordination: Increasing cooperation and coordination on global platforms to address shared international challenges.
The newly established five-year defence cooperation roadmap provides a structured and forward-looking framework to systematically implement these collaborative initiatives. It represents a concrete step toward translating diplomatic goodwill into actionable programs that will benefit both nations' security and strategic interests.
This development underscores India's continued efforts to build and strengthen strategic partnerships with key nations across the globe, particularly within Europe. The agreement with Greece is seen as part of a broader foreign policy strategy to enhance India's defence diplomacy and secure its interests in an increasingly complex global security environment.
