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Both countries have a historical contribution to establishing and successfully practicing the values and ideals of democracy: PM Modi

Published By : Admin | August 25, 2023 | 14:45 IST


Your Excellency, Prime Minister Mitsotakis,


Delegates from both countries,


Friends from media,


Namaskar!

First of all, I express my condolences and on behalf of all the people of India, for the loss of lives in the tragic incidents of forest fires in Greece.

Also, we wish for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Friends,

Greece and India- This is a natural reunion

-Between the two ancient civilizations of the world,

-Between the two ancient democratic ideologies of the world, and

-Between the two ancient trade and cultural relations of the world.
Friends,

The foundation of our relationship is as ancient as it is strong.

Science, art, and culture - We have learned from each other in all the fields.

Today we have excellent coordination on Geopolitical, International, and Regional topics- Whether in the Indo-Pacific or in the Mediterranean.

Like two old friends, we understand each other’s feelings and respect them.

This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Greece after a gap of 40 years.

Still, neither the depth of our relations has diminished, nor has there been any decrease in the warmth of our relations.

Therefore, today Mr. Prime Minister and I have decided to take the India-Greece partnership to a "strategic" level.

We have decided that we will strengthen our strategic partnership by expanding our cooperation in the fields of defense and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, new and emerging technology, and skill development.

Friends,

In the field of defense and security, we agreed to give a boost to defense industries, along with military ties.

Today we also discussed the topics of Terrorism and Cyber Security.

We decided that even at the level of our National Security Advisors, there should be an institutional platform for dialogue.

Mr. Prime Minister and I, agree that our bilateral trade is rapidly growing and has immense potential for further growth.

Therefore, we have set a target to double our bilateral trade by the year 2030.

Today, in a few moments, Mr. Prime Minister will host a business meeting.

In this, we will be discussing some specific areas with business representatives of both countries.

We believe that by encouraging trade and investment between our countries we can take our industrial and economic cooperation to a new level.

Today an agreement was signed for cooperation in the agriculture sector.

With this agreement, not only can we cooperate in agriculture and seed production but also in the fields of research, animal husbandry, and livestock production.

Friends,

We have decided to enter into a migration and mobility partnership agreement soon, in order to facilitate skilled migration between the two countries.

We believe that to give a new shape to our ancient people-to-people relations, we should increase cooperation.

We will promote cultural and academic exchanges between our educational institutions.

Friends,

We also had discussions on national and international issues.

Greece has expressed its support for the India-EU trade and investment agreement.

Both the countries support Diplomacy and Dialogue in the case of Ukraine.

I thanked Greece for its cooperation in the United Nations and other international forums.

I am grateful to Mr. Prime Minister for his good wishes and encouragement regarding India's G20 Presidency.

Friends,

For conferring on me the Grand Cross of the Order of Honor today, I sincerely thank the people of the Hellenic Republic and the President.

I accepted the award on behalf of 140 crore Indians and expressed my gratitude.

The shared values of India and Greece are the foundation of our long and trusted partnership.

Both countries have a historical contribution to establishing and successfully practicing the values and ideals of democracy.

I firmly believe that like the Gandhara school of art, a beautiful amalgamation of Indian and Greco-Roman art, the friendship between India and Greece will also leave its indelible mark on the stone of time.

Once again, I express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Prime Minister and the people of Greece for the hospitality extended to me and my delegation today, in this beautiful and historic city of Greece.

Thank you very much.

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, earlier today. This year’s theme was Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047. It was attended by Chief Ministers, Lt. Governors and Administrators representing 28 States and 5 UTs. This was the first time when Chief Ministers of all 28 States participated in the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog.

Prime Minister noted that at a time when many major economies are facing uncertainty and economic challenges, India’s growth story continues to inspire the world. He emphasized the need to further strengthen the nation’s resolve towards self-reliance and highlighted the importance of adopting and implementing global best practices, particularly in the renewable energy sector.

Underscoring the importance of cooperative federalism, Prime Minister stated that the Centre and the States must work together to achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat. He stressed that the vision of Viksit Bharat should become the collective resolve of every State, district, block and village.

Highlighting the strength of India’s demographic profile, Prime Minister observed that the country’s youth constitute its greatest asset, with nearly 70 crore Indians below the age of 25 years. Calling this a demographic dividend, he urged States to focus on transforming it into a development dividend through education, skilling and capacity-building initiatives that prepare young people for future opportunities and challenges.

Referring to India’s recently concluded trade agreements with several countries, Prime Minister encouraged States to create opportunities for youth and MSMEs and to equip stakeholders to effectively leverage the benefits arising from these agreements. He also urged States to actively attract investments from partner countries.

Emphasizing women-led development, Prime Minister called upon States to work towards increasing the number of Lakhpati Didis from 3 crore to 6 crore and stressed the importance of ensuring a safe and secure environment for Nari Shakti.

Prime Minister urged States to focus on One District One Product (ODOP) initiatives and develop export-oriented strategies around it. He also identified defence manufacturing as an emerging sector where India is establishing a distinct identity and encouraged States to formulate policies to leverage the opportunities arising from its growth.

Prime Minister highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to address emerging social challenges such as drug abuse and cyber fraud through preventive measures, awareness campaigns and effective governance.

Prime Minister also drew attention to concerns arising from El Niño conditions and appealed to States to promote water conservation and encourage natural and organic farming practices. He noted that the purchase of 11 lakh tonnes of organic manure by farmers during the current Kharif season reflected growing confidence in sustainable agriculture.

Prime Minister emphasized the need to evaluate progress at the district level, particularly through aspirational district parameters. Prime Minister suggested that on similar lines, 100 districts should be identified in the field of agriculture to bring positive results. He urged the States to take lead in this pursuit so that a phenomenal change can be achieved through the aspirational approach.

Prime Minister emphasised the need for a monitoring framework and targeted 100-day and five-year goals towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Highlighting the importance of good governance, transparency, and infrastructure for attracting investment, he urged States to focus on branding, ease of doing business, and emerging opportunities in sectors such as data centres and artificial intelligence. He emphasized that AI should be viewed as an opportunity and called for greater efforts to equip people with the skills required for the future economy.

The Chief Ministers/Lt. Governors/Administrators congratulated Prime Minister Modi on completing 12 years in his office. They also expressed solidarity with the Centre to withstand the global geo-political crisis and to strengthen India’s resilience with respect to energy requirements, and sustain its growth trajectory.

Prime Minister noted that the discussions were constructive and reflected the aspirations, hopes, experiences, best practices, and challenges of the States. Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to all the CMs, LGs and Administrators for participating in the meeting and expressed confidence that Together, through cooperation, innovation, and a shared commitment to development, India can accelerate its journey towards a Viksit Bharat by 2047.