Who is the Adami Group that is in discussions?
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis visited New Delhi to meet with his Indian counterpart, Mr. S Jaishankar, last week to discuss, among other things, the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
In an interview with the newspaper "The Hindu" on 6 February, the foreign minister stated that Greece aspires "to be the gateway of the groundbreaking IMEC Corridor into the European market."
Responding to questions about trade between the two countries, he confirmed that Greece is in talks with Indian groups for ports that will facilitate trade routes, with information indicating that the Adani Group is in discussions to acquire a terminal in Kavala or Volos.
The head of the Adani Group is interested in investing in Greek ports, focusing mainly on the port of Kavala and secondarily on that of Volos.
Gautam Adani was ranked as the second richest person on the planet and the richest Asian until the end of 2022, according to the Forbes list.
At the airport level, the group already controls seven, while it has undertaken the construction of the new Mumbai airport by 2036. At the port level, it reportedly controls a network of 12 key ports in the most populous country on the planet.
In the interview, the minister stated, “Greece welcomes potential interest from Indian companies in investing in Greek ports, as we expect this to lead to the modernization and expansion of our country’s port infrastructure.”
Regarding port infrastructure, he said that "Greek ports are strategically positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, which render them ideal transport hubs for connecting these three continents."
"Several Greek ports are already logistics centers, and we aim to enhance their capacity, increasing connectivity and promoting sea transport services further," he added.
Gerapetritis said that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited India a year ago and demonstrated Greece's firm commitment to strengthening our strategic partnership.
He recalled that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Greece and India.
At the meeting with his Indian counterpart, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, they discussed important opportunities for further developing bilateral relations in various areas, such as maritime security, shipping, trade and investment, culture, and tourism.
"India and Greece are pillars of stability in their respective geographical regions, namely the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean. Greece, as the oldest democracy, shares strong ties with India, which is the largest democratic nation in history. Our two countries share the characteristics of great nations rooted in ancient civilizations that have profoundly influenced and enriched humanity," Greece's top diplomat noted.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the economic and trade relations between Greece and India present significant unexplored potential but can be further strengthened. Areas of particular interest include construction materials, food and beverages, and Renewable Energy.
As agreed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Athens in 2023, the two countries have committed to doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
"Upgrading EU-India relations to a strategic partnership enabled us to jointly address international issues. When trade cooperation between India and the EU advances with establishing the Free Trade Agreement (BTIA), we expect bilateral trade to record significant growth," the minister pointed out.
He also emphasized that direct flights between India and Greece would act "as a catalyst for bridging our two countries, advancing people-to-people contacts, and deepening our economic and commercial relations," which Greek and Indian airlines intend to do.
He adds that "The entry into force of our bilateral Air Services Agreement in 2022 has created the necessary framework for developing direct air operations."
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