"After completing his engagements in Johannesburg relating to the BRICS Summit and to the BRICS Outreach and BRICS Plus Summit, the Prime Minister would travel to Greece for an official visit on 25th August 2023 at the invitation of His Excellency, Prime Minister of Greece," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said.
"Just to recall here, the Honorable Prime Minister had met the Greek Prime Minister in New York last in September 2019 on the sidelines of the UNGA. The important thing to mention here is that the last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983, so it is after a considerable length of long period of time actually that a Prime Ministerial visit from India is taking place to Greece," he said.
"Previous high-level exchanges between the two countries have also included a visit by former Presidents of India, late doctor APJ Abdul Kalam and also former President Shri Ram Nath Kovindji in June 2018," he said.
A ceremonial welcome on arrival in Athens, which would be followed by the visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the Prime Minister would lay a wreath.
The Prime Minister will thereafter have restricted and delegation-level talks with the Honorable Prime Minister of Greece. Both leaders would also address the key businesses of both countries later after the delegation-level talks.
Prime Minister would also interact with the Indian diaspora in Greece.
The Foreign Secretary said, "The Greek President had also paid a state visit to India in 1998, and the then Greek Prime Minister had visited India in 2008. Greece is one of India's important European partners, is a member of the EU, of NATO, and a gateway to Europe and also to the EU market, and enjoys a privileged position at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa.
"Both India and Greece are not just modern democracies, but we also share close and age-old historical and cultural relations. Important elements of our partnership include defense and security, shipping, and most recently the elements relating to the migration and mobility are being given shape in terms of structural partnership between India and Greece.
Greece has also been a strong supporter and a partner with India on issues of core interest in the UN and other international organisations, including their support to a permanent membership in the expanded UN Security Council."
"During the Honorable Prime Minister's visit to Greece, both sides will look to expand and diversify the trade and investment segment of cooperation, deepen and expand the defense and security partnership, infrastructure cooperation, shipbuilding industry, something which is a great strength of Greece and where the opportunities, extensive opportunities are there, energy, agriculture, education".
BRICS Expansion
Foreign Secretary, Vinay Kwatra said,
"Look, there is no doubt that there is considerable interest in many countries to become a part of BRICS, to associate themselves with BRICS, to leverage different opportunities that the BRICS and the cooperation under the BRICS presents for itself.
In so far as the BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been very clear from the start that we have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to the BRICS expansion. As you all know, BRICS works under the modality and principle of consensus. And all the BRICS countries have to have full consensus on how they would want BRICS expanded, what should be the guiding principles of that expansion, what would be the criteria for such an expansion."
"Those are the subject matters of ongoing current discussions between the Sherpas of the BRICS in South Africa. And I would not want to prejudge the outcome of these discussions, except to say, as I said earlier, that India has a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion."
A report by Reuters news agency said, " An expansion of the BRICS bloc under consideration at a summit this week has attracted a motley crew of potential candidates - from Iran to Argentina - with one thing in common: a desire to level a global playing field many consider rigged against them".
Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say officials from South Africa, which is hosting the Aug. 22-24 summit. Of them, nearly two dozen have formally asked to be admitted, reports say.
Reuters news copy also says,
"Though home to some 40% of the world's population and a quarter of global GDP, the bloc's ambitions of becoming a global political and economic player have long been thwarted by internal divisions and a lack of coherent vision."
"Its once booming economies, notably heavyweight China, are slowing. Founding member, Russia, is facing isolation over the Ukraine war. President Vladimir Putin, wanted under an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, will not travel to Johannesburg and only join virtually."
"They may have over-inflated expectations of what BRICS membership will actually deliver in practice," said Steven Gruzd from the South African Institute of International Affairs has been quoted as saying by the news agency.
ends
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