Greece, Egypt, Denmark, and Papua New Guinea: Prime Minister Modi Charts New Diplomatic CourseOn August 25, as he travels back from the BRICS summit in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first trip to Greece in forty years. The last Indian prime minister to visit Greece was Indira Gandhi in 1983.
In fact, Modi has made it a point to visit countries that Indian prime ministers haven’t visited in decades in the past year or so. It had been 26 years since an Indian prime minister had visited the African country when he went to Egypt in June. Manmohan Singh visited Egypt in 2009, but only for the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
“There is no substitute for a bilateral visit and talks… it leads to much more appreciation and understanding of each other’s position and a lot of synergies get explored,” a senior government official explained about the PM’s approach.
The vice-president’sorforeign minister’s earlier visits lay the groundwork, but the prime minister’s trip aids in institutionalizing the deliverables. “Also, many countries have a wealth of expertise to offer that can be tapped for the benefit of our nation. All of these nations possess particular skills, the official claimed.
By visiting countries that haven’t been as frequently visited by others or his predecessors, Modi is also addressing a sense of neglect that exists in those countries. The official said, “The new bilateral partner feels that India is sensitive to their concerns and they feel appreciated.”
Such trips to some countries after a long absence are also combined with special occasions, like a gathering of Indians living abroad to connect with the Indian community. The PM will host a community event in Greece, just as he did in Papua New Guinea, Denmark, and Egypt.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that India and Greece have strong civilizational ties that have grown in recent years as a result of collaboration in fields like maritime transport, defense, trade and investments, and people-to-people ties.
The MEA stated that Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Mitsotakis would speak about how to further strengthen their relationship.
Similar to this, Modi’s trip to Egypt, an Islamic nation, and his meeting with the president of Egypt at the venerable Al-Hakin mosque made a powerful statement.
The prime minister of Papua New Guinea touching Modi’s feet also made headlines. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Denmark in 2002, the country’s then-Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen made offensive comments that soured diplomatic relations between the two nations.
In his statement before leaving office on Tuesday, the PM referred to Greece as an “ancient land” and stated that there have been contacts between the two civilisations for more than 2,000 years. The PM said, “I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our complex relationship.
Along with India, Greece has been a steadfast ally and collaborator on matters of fundamental concern in the UN and other international organizations, including their support for permanent membership in the expanded UN Security Council.
