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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has departed from South Africa after the conclusion of the 15th BRICS Summit, has a tight schedule in Greece on Friday as the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the nation in 40 years. Ahead of his visit, members of Indian diaspora took to the streets in Athens and raised slogans in his support.
The Indian diaspora members could be seen waving photos and banners of PM Modi and raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Modi ji Zindabaad’.
One of the members told ANI that the community is jubliant over PM Modi’s arrival in Athens and congratulated him for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. “It felt good to know that PM Modi is coming here…It was great of him to open the corridor to Pakistan (Kartarpur Corridor)…We will welcome him with ‘Bhangra’,” said another Indian.
PM Modi’s tight schedule
The Prime Minister left South Africa’s Johannesburg after a three-day visit in South Africa, where he was part of the 15th BRICS Summit. After a ceremonial welcome following his arrival at 6:25 am (Indian time) at the Athens International Airport, PM Modi has a busy schedule in Greece, starting with a wreath laying at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier and the Guard of Honour.
After this, the Indian PM will attend a ceremonial reception and a meeting with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. This will be following by an official meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At around 12:45 pm, PM Modi will attend a business lunch hosted by Mitsotakis.
After 5 pm, the Prime Minister will meet with prominent personalities and interact with the Indian diaspora in Greece. He is set to depart from Greece at around 7:25 pm.
First Indian PM in 40 years
The forthcoming visit is significant for PM Modi as he will be the first Indian Prime Minister who will make a state visit to Athens after a gap of four decades. Earlier, in 1983, former PM Indira Gandhi visited the country. On the Greek side, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis had visited New Delhi in 2019.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) marked the visit as crucial for both India and Greece as both countries hope to boost the bilateral relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership. When PM Modi holds a meeting with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis, it is expected that both will discuss the expansion of cooperation in several areas including trade, investment, defence and people-to-people exchanges.
Besides, it is also anticipated that the PMs will enhance the cultural ties as both nations share a magnificent history dating back to 300 BC.
“Contacts between our two civilisations stretch back over two millennia. In modern times, our ties have been strengthened by shared values of democracy, the rule of law and pluralism. Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defence, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer,” the PM said on the civilisational ties between India and Greece.
Notably, India’s traditionally long-standing, warm and friendly relationship with Greece has been marked by consistent support to each other on issues of core national interest, such as Kashmir and Cyprus.
(with agency inputs)
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