Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias concluded his tour of India on Tuesday with a visit to the spot where the emblematic leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered.

During his stay in New Delhi, the foreign minister had meetings with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Indian Deputy Foreign Minister M. J. Akbar.

The talks with the Indian side focused on bilateral relations between the two countries and on ways to further strengthen them, with emphasis on economy, energy, transportation and culture. The two foreign ministers agreed to plan more regular consultations between the foreign ministers, both at ministerial and staff level, while Kotzias invited his Indian counterpart to visit Athens. The proposal was accepted and Swaraj will likely come to Athens in June.

In the economic sector, they highlighted the need to increase the volume of bilateral trade, which will also be the subject of the next meeting of the Greek-Indian Joint Interministerial Committee to be convened as soon as possible. Among the sectors for the development of economic relations between the two countries are shipping, tourism, construction, agriculture, start-ups and the high-tech sector, for which the foreign minister has highlighted that there is great scope for cooperation given the opportunities offered by the Greek economy and the high degree of specialization.

Kotzias also developed the comparative advantages of the Greek economy to attract foreign investment. It was agreed to hold business meetings in New Delhi and Athens in 2018 with the participation of entrepreneurs on both sides to explore the scope for cooperation.

Regarding tourism, they stressed the need for direct flights linking India to Greece in order to facilitate and consequently increase tourist flows. In this direction, the two foreign ministers signed a cooperation agreement.

They also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of renewable energy, where the two countries have strong comparative advantages. In addition, India has developed advanced initiatives in its efforts to tackle climate change, acquiring valuable experience and know-how.

Source: thegreekobserver.com