New Delhi: In a world that faces geopolitical tensions and other challenges, India's rise on the international stage and its position as a growing force at the heart of the G20 makes the country a key ally in the pursuit of peace, security and efforts to fight climate change, Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said.

The Greece Prime Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Raisina Dialogue here on Wednesday evening. The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics.

In his inaugural address, Prime Minister Mitsotakis emphasized that India and Greece have been bound for millennia by economic, cultural and philosophical ties. He said that both countries believe in the fundamental principles of democracy, and enjoy a friendship that is based on mutual respect, common values, and a desire to see people prosper.

PM Mistotakis pointed out that 2024 is a year of immense geopolitical importance as half of the world will go to the polls. Elections, he felt, are a testament to the lasting power of democracy. The Indian elections in particular have challenged flawed notions that scale is a barrier to democracy, and have shown that democratic processes can deliver stronger economic growth and social cohesion.

The present world, the Greek PM said, was threatened by climate change, war geopolitical tensions, mass migration, and fears over the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"I touched a little earlier on the growing importance of India's role on the international stage. It is the leading democracy in the Global South. When it comes to shaping the direction of the global debate and addressing the great challenges, India is often regarded as, and rightly so, as a consensus builder," Prime Minister Mitsotakis said.

"India is the world's fastest-growing economy. Greece has over the past years enjoyed some of the fastest growth rates of any European country. Mutual investment is a major goal of our bilateral relations, and I'm pleased to say that we already have a number of significant Greek investments here in India in many sectors, including food processing, maritime and air transport, logistics," he added.

Building on European Commission President Ursula Von de Leyer's assertion that the EU ought to strengthen its partnership with India, PM Mitsotakis noted that a strong EU-India partnership should in fact be the cornerstone of Europe's foreign policy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who delivered the vote of thanks, remarked that the growing ties between Greece and India were natural, given that both countries "take a long view of challenges and a considered view of opportunities".

He said that as India continues to deepen its footprint abroad, Greece has emerged as a favourable destination. As civilizational states, the two nations have a responsibility to contribute to the evolution of the world order.

Opening the conference, Dr. Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), described the present as an "age of unpeace", riven by conflicts and contests. In spite of these divided times, cooperation is possible, he said, and India's performance as a consensus-builder has been exemplary.

ORF Chairman Sunjoy Joshi defined the first quarter of the 21st century as a period of churn, during which some nations struggled to guard borders while others strove to escape conflict. With democracies under assault, and disinformation trumping truth, forging consensus and devising solutions for all were more urgent than ever before, he observed.

In his remarks, PM Mitsotakis drew attention to the strides Greece has made with respect to migration and security, investments in health and education, and the shaping of new regional partnerships. By cutting taxes, supporting entrepreneurs and innovation, and enabling a shift towards a green and digital economy, Greece has been able to achieve the fastest growth in the Eurozone, he said.

A reformed and resurgent Greece, PM Mitsotakis felt, could act as an interlocutor between Europe and India, and more broadly between the Global North and South. As a world-class logistics centre, Greece could serve as a link between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific. Given its position on the map, it could also support the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), acting as a "natural doorstep to Europe and beyond" for India.

He also pointed to the intensification of bilateral ties between India and Greece, with a growing volume of mutual investments and bilateral trade. He concluded that both countries have vital roles to play in upholding democracy and that Greece is in favour of United Nations reforms, and is keen for nations like India to be represented at the highest level in the United Nations.

The Greece PM, who is on a State visit to India, is accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation. He held bilateral discussions with PM Modi on Wednesday.

The Raisina Dialogue, in its ninth edition this year, is being held from February 21-23, 2024 in New Delhi.

This year's conference is titled 'Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create'. The Dialogue will engage with compelling issues that are reshaping the world order, negotiate volatility, explore solutions, and craft a collective response that will help lift all, a release said.

To commemorate the Raisina Dialogue's entry into its tenth year, ORF released a publication titled 'Raisina Chronicles: India's Global Public Square'.

Edited by EAM Jaishankar and Dr Samir Saran, the volume brings together essays by eminent voices from around the globe as well as speeches delivered at Raisina by world leaders and heads of state. According to External Affairs Minister, Raisina Chronicles "captures what we have achieved and indicates the promise ahead".

The Raisina Dialogue 2024 comprises over 100 sessions spanning panel discussions, roundtables, Raisina Firesides and associated events.

Nearly 3,000 participants from 120 countries are being hosted at the Raisina Dialogue this year, the release said. They include serving and former heads of state, ministers and lawmakers, diplomats, policy planners, military leaders, heads of multilateral institutions, business chiefs and eminent thinkers whose collective agency "will ensure rich and diverse discussions" at the Dialogue.

The Raisina Dialogue is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs.

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