New Delhi: Greek Defence Minister Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias said on Monday that for Greece, maintaining close cooperation with a country like India, whose Armed Forces personnel number nearly 1.5 million, is extremely important.
Dendias made the statement following bilateral talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.
The two ministers reviewed the full spectrum of India–Greece defence ties, according to an official statement. They reiterated that the bilateral Strategic Partnership is anchored in shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect.
Maritime security emerged as a key area of convergence during the talks, reflecting the shared outlook of the two ancient seafaring nations. In this context, Greece announced the deployment of a Greek International Liaison Officer at the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram to strengthen cooperation in maritime domain awareness.
The Greek defence minister also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent with Singh on bilateral defence industry cooperation, marking a significant step towards enhancing collaboration in defence manufacturing, innovation, and technology.
Dendias said the agreement was the first in a series of defence-related arrangements currently under negotiation and noted that both sides had facilitated interaction between their defence start-ups and innovation ecosystems.
During the stay, the Greek delegation also visited key defence and industrial establishments in Bengaluru and interacted with representatives from Defence Public Sector Undertakings, private defence firms, and start-ups in New Delhi.
Officials said the visit reaffirmed the India-Greek Republic Strategic Partnership and reflected the shared intent of both countries to deepen long-term defence cooperation.
Earlier in the day, Dendias laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation. He also inspected a Tri-service Guard of Honour at the Manekshaw Centre.
