Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis to arrive on Wednesday for two-day trip

Talks on fast tracking mobility agreement expected

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will arrive in India for a 2-day trip on Wednesday.

Mitsotakis will also be the Chief Guest and deliver the keynote address at the 9th edition of the Raisina Dialogues on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event.

Mitsotakis will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mitsotakis will hold bilateral discussions with Minister Narendra Modi.

Collaboration in the fields of security and defence, shipping, maritime are expected to figure heavily in his bilateral discussions with PM Modi. India-Greece relations were elevated to ‘Strategic Partnership’ during Modi’s visit to Greece in August 2023.

It was the first by an Indian PM in 40 years. Both leaders had agreed that an early finalization of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries.

The latest visit is also expected to see discussions on fast-tracking this agreement, people in the know said.

Last year, Business Standard reported that Greece has approached India for sending up to 10,000 seasonal agricultural workers, while Italy has sought workers to staff municipal duties in its emptying towns, people in the know said.

The Mediterranean country is facing an acute shortage of at least 70,000 workers in Greece for domestic production of vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and milk. MEA data shows 12,300 Indians living in the country. According to the Indian embassy in Athens, most are from Punjab and employed as farm, factory, or construction workers.

This would be the first bilateral Head of State or Government level visit from Greece to India after 15 years. The last Prime Ministerial visit from Greece to India took place in 2008.

Mitsotakis's visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen the strategic partnership between India and Greece, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Modi will also host a lunch banquet in honour of the Greek PM.

Both countries have increasingly converged on regional and global issues. They have also been cooperating closely in various multilateral forums.