Greece on India’s ‘silk road’
Greece has a key geostrategic role in the new trade routes India is building, with the support of countries such as the US, South Korea and Japan.
Long before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Athens in late August and his meeting with PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, India’s ambassador to Greece held meetings with the management of the Thessaloniki Port Authority (ThPA).
It was then announced that “the two sides pledged to maintain open channels of communication in order to develop commercial partnerships between ThPA and Indian companies.” Informally, however, the prospect of India’s cooperation with the Thessaloniki port acquiring a strategic character was discussed, as the planet’s most populous country is now looking for its own new trade routes to Europe in direct competition with China. As the port of Piraeus is controlled by a Chinese state-owned company, New Delhi is evaluating alternatives.
The same issue was of course raised with the Greek government a month ago during Modi’s visit to Athens. It is estimated to be revisited during the return trip by Mitsotakis to India in the first half of 2024.
