In those days before the free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, many feared it wouldn't happen: too many things had to fall into
place, and they weren't. But one man, convinced of its importance, persisted: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece. "I was very aggressively lobbying the European Commission to move ahead with the FTA, and I was very happy it was agreed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. It is a great opportunity for Indian exporters but also a great opportunity for European companies, including Greek companies, to access the Indian market." The Greek PM told TIMES NOW this is the "biggest free trade agreement ever signed. Of course, in Europe, there is some opposition to these types of agreements. We will overcome them once the agreement reaches the European parliament, and I am sure it will be overwhelmingly supported because it is a win-win agreement. ... I was enthusiastic when I heard the agreement was signed. I can tell you that there is very broad support from amongst my colleagues at the level of the European Council. We are a country of traders and explorers, and as traders and explorers, we need to embrace trade and open borders. Greece is a leading shipping nation. India is aspiring to be a leading shipping nation. So, our shipping industry will benefit." When the name Onassis came up, the PM said "there are many more (shipping tycoons) now." Mitsotakis speaks of olive oil, on which there are high tariffs. "These tariffs are going to decrease significantly. So imagine how much potential this offers to our olive oil producers, as India is a massive market and Indians are discovering new tastes. We also want to make sure that Greek companies benefit from this breakthrough agreement." The Greek PM sees close cultural ties between New Delhi and Athens, and also, more tourism. "It will happen as the ties between the two countries are becoming stronger. There's a great interest among Indians to learn more about Greek civilization. The same is true about the Greeks and their interest in India. Greeks are great travellers, and I am sure they'd love to travel to India, and there are significant opportunities for cultural cooperation. "The ministers of culture are fully committed to strengthening cultural ties between Greece and India, and I cannot stress enough the importance of having non-stop flights between the two countries. This is a true game-changer and Greece is not that far-- about 6-7 hours compared to 10-11 hours you would need to fly to Central Europe. This makes the trip easier, and we've seen in the past that the moment we have started establishing non-stop flights, the momentum for people-to-people relations becomes stronger. Greece is opening two new consulates in Mumbai and Bangalore. They'll be operational within the next month. We want to facilitate people travelling to Greece, for people with visa requests, but also to have a broader presence in the Indian subcontinent. This is part of the commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership with India."
