Kyriakos Mitsotakis: We had our last, we would hope, leaders meeting at the European Council in Brussels, came back late yesterday afternoon. We are very, very happy to welcome you. I think it is a real opportunity to discuss how we can take our bilateral relations forward. As the minister told you, we attach particular importance to our relationship with India. I think it is a relationship that was not particularly developed in the past, which, of course, raises the expectations for the future.
But India is a country I visited personally many times. I have the greatest admiration for the world’s largest democracy. And of course, we’re talking about two countries that have cultures and civilizations that go back many, many, many, many centuries. And also in terms of economic cooperation, Greece would be the natural entry point for Indian companies into the European market. So there’s a lot there’s a lot to discuss. Again, welcome. And I’m also very, very happy that you’ll be inaugurating a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It is particularly important given the significant impact he has had also here in Greece.
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: Thank you, Prime Minister, and first of all, I bring the greetings of Prime Minister Modi, and it’s a particular privilege to be here on the two hundredth anniversary of your independence. So it is a statement of support, solidarity, friendship with Greece. And we actually started our discussions yesterday. And I agree with you, I think we have a very comfortable relationship but, so far, not an ambitious relationship. There is much more that we can do.
And one part of it, of course, is the bilateral, the natural connection between Greece and India. But I think a larger context is also provided by the fact that our relationship with the EU as a whole is progressing. And you are a very important and influential member there to, shall I say, advocate of us within the EU. But you are also, in many ways, a meeting point between many of our relationships in Eastern Europe and, you know, Russia on one side, the EU on the other.
We have strong interest in the Gulf and Middle East. So looking at all of this, strategically I would say there are many, many aspects to this relationship we should be exploring more effectively and I hope in the course of my stay we can do that.
