Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on Thursday sent the message that Greece and India are prepared, in the interests of democracy and global prosperity, to do whatever is necessary to implement the visionary India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, while addressing the International Conference “Raisina Dialogue” in New Delhi.
Gerapetritis, who accompanied Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on his official visit to India, referred to IMEC’s advantages, such as upgrading transport capacity and the resilience of trade, energy, and data flows, reducing the cost of transporting cargo by 30-40 percent, improving transport efficiency, new jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“But this project is much more, it is primarily a work of peace and culture, which will transfer goods, hope, prosperity, and unity,” underlined the Greek foreign minister.
He said that the corridor will help strengthen solidarity and resilience in future crises, whether these concern conflicts pandemics or natural disasters or the climate crisis, by creating infrastructure via synergies that promote peace and stability.
Gerapetritis praised India’s position and role as a “major nation with remarkable achievements in the West, East, North, and South crossroads, with a constantly expanding economic and geopolitical role worldwide”.
Greek enterprises are making substantial investments in India, mostly in the sectors of food, infrastructure, sea and air transport, and logistics.
On its part, India has actively participated in significant infrastructure projects in Greece, such as the construction of the new airport in Kastelli, Crete, while Indian entrepreneurs have invested in the food and pharmaceuticals market. The fact that roughly 100 Greek entrepreneurs, who wanted to explore the possibility of further partnerships, have accompanied the prime minister in his trip to India is not a coincidence, Gerapetritis said.
The capstone of cooperation between India and Greece is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a visionary project that was announced at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023.
