Strong relations with Greece crucial for India’s interests in Mediterranean

From the editor’s desk

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Greece’s highest civilian award- the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, it was the recognition of the strong bond of relationship that the two ancient civilizations- Indian and Greek, have had with each other since ancient times.

The Indian Prime Minister after receiving the honour quite rightly dedicated it to all his fellow countrymen. The occasion was also a reminder that ancient bonds of friendship can form the bedrock for modern relationships also. It is a different matter that Modi’s visit to Greece was the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 40 years. This could be due to the modern compulsions of not being able to look beyond a certain radius while conducting foreign policy, which has always been overshadowed by considerations of either the superpower dynamics or the intentions of the neighbouring powers.

But with the coming of the Modi government in India, foreign policy imperatives have changed, and the country has gone on to embrace the wider world. If India is to become a world power, it has to look beyond its immediate considerations of power equations, rather it should look towards having a better say in matters of the larger world. And therefore, after concluding the BRICS summit, the Indian Prime Minister embarked on his maiden visit to Greece, signaling to the world that India acknowledges and respects past history as much as it is aware of and prepared for the current history in the making. India’s colonial past may seem to have obliterated some of the memories of its glorious past, but India is working on a revival of its rich ancient culture and a power-packed history in the modern international context. So Modi’s Greece visit has a lot of symbolic value as well, besides being valuable in terms of the modern dynamics of trade and power politics. And Modi has always been very careful in choosing the gifts he offers to the leaders and statesmen and stateswomen of other countries. This time the Indian Prime Minister offered as gifts the Meghalaya Shawl and Chhattisgarh's Dhokra Art, along with the Telangana Bidri Art vases, to the President and Prime Minister of Greece with their spouses being equal recipients. The underlying symbolism evoked a sense of recognition of the close relations these two nations had in the past. Greece also reciprocated honouring the Indian Prime Minister with its highest civilian award.

Modi’s foreign visits have also been about showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage and its awakening in the present as a rising international power. By giving India’s unique gifts to his foreign counterparts and heads of states, Modi familiarizes them with India’s rich culture, if they are not already familiar with it. And when he meets or addresses Indian diasporas, which he invariably does, Modi reminds them of India’s potential and its rich cultural past. Culture builds nations and binds a people to remain a cohesive unit. During his talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Indian Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the Mediterranean region to India's interests. He also conveyed to his Greek counterpart that India would like to build on the foundations of existing relations and also extend its relations to other countries with which it has not yet had much interaction. India’s emphasizing of its relations with Greece can be seen from the perspective that Pakistan and Turkey, along with Azerbaijan comprise a nexus that wants to annex Indian and Greek territories. Moreover Pakistan and Turkey together have the potential to disrupt India and Greece’s maritime strategy. Greece is arguably the greatest naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Its presence forces the Turkish Navy to confine itself to the coastline of Asia Minor. Also the Port of Piraeus allows entry into European markets. Therefore from India’s point of view, it is imperative that it should expand its influence into the Mediterranean basin, which will, of course, be unwelcome from Turkey’s perspective. But Greece will not mind it if India pursues the policy of forging strong relations with it.

In concrete terms, Modi’s recent visit to Greece will strengthen India-Greece relations, with the added benefit of helping India in extending its reach to the Mediterranean region, which must be viewed as a sign of India’s growing confidence in matters of international importance. India wants to extend its influence in Asia, Africa and Europe in a legitimate manner, showcasing its culture, its growing economic power, and its intention to build a peaceful and just world order where every country, irrespective of the size of its economy and population or its military strength, will benefit from a level playing field.