The Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed its support for every effort aimed at a wider bilateral commercial and economic cooperation between Greece and India.
According to the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the official visit of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to Greece on Friday, August 25, 2023 and the meeting with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, marks the rewarming of a historical relationship and the upgrading of a strategic importance cooperation between the two countries. “The arrival of an Indian prime minister in Greece, after 40 years, is a milestone and confirms the will of both sides to restart, expand and consolidate Greek-Indian relations at the highest level,” the Chamber pointed out.
“India, a huge country with a growth rate of 7%, is the world’s fifth largest economy with a GDP of $3.7 trillion and now the most populous country in the world with 1.43 billion people, surpassing China for the first time. On the other hand, despite its size and population, Greece has a strong geopolitical and economic advantage, since it can become India’s gateway to the European Union of 27 countries,” the chamber said.
As it explained, “after Brexit, India is looking for alternative routes to Europe and Greece’s position, at the crossroads of three continents, is the ideal bridge to Europe, but also to the Southern Mediterranean. “Greece must focus on intensifying contacts between Greek and Indian businesses, in order to lead to a greater presence of Indian investment groups in Greece, especially in the sectors of infrastructure, high technology, renewable energy, tourism, and also to strengthen the presence of Greek companies in India, especially in the sectors of trade, food industry, medicine, and of course, our globally strong shipping. The first meeting was attended by 10 representatives of large Indian groups that have invested, or are going to invest in Greece, while on the Greek side, it was attended by businessmen who are interested in doing business in India. It is certain that in the near future new contacts will follow with the aim of exploring and building investment opportunities and commercial partnerships.”
According to the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the first goals of our country, in the next period, should be the doubling of bilateral trade, with an emphasis on exports. In 2022 trade hit a record high of €1.32 billion, but in this huge market there is still plenty of room for growth. An important goal is to strengthen the cooperation between two countries in the fields of naval training and employment of Indian sailors in the Greek-owned fleet. After all, between the two countries there is absolute alignment in maintaining maritime safety and adherence to the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We welcome India’s interest in gaining greater access to the port of Piraeus and investing in other Greek ports in order to create gateways for its exports to Europe, but also to create manufacturing assembly chains in our country so that the final product can obtain a European passport,” the president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vassilis Korkidis, said adding: “It is no coincidence that India, a member of the BRICS countries, after France and Germany, chooses a third European country, Greece, for a Strategic Relationship, as a political and economic partner. Greece is clearly suitable geopolitically and can become India’s gateway to Europe. I consider it mutually beneficial and good practice for India to follow the same successful and safe path through Greece to Europe, as China did with Cosco’s investment in the port of Piraeus.”
