The President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, was due to arrive in Athens on Wednesday for a four-day state visit to Greece, leading a high ranking delegation.
The delegation accompanying Kalam on the April 25-28 visit includes minister of state for New and Renewable Energy Sources Vilas Muttemwar, Rajya Sabha (Council of States, the upper house of the Indian parliament) members T.R. Zeiland and Pyaremohan Mohapatra, four eminent scientists, and senior officials.

This visit comes 21 years after the last State visit by an Indian President to Greece in November 1986, and highlights the growing interaction between the two countries in various fields, according to a press release by the Indian Embassy in Athens.

During the visit, an agreement for cooperation in Science and Technology will be signed, providing a framework for cooperation in this important area between institutions of both countries. The two countries are also likely to conclude an agreement on promotion and protection of investments, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Greece and the Foreign Service Institute of India, the announcement said.

President Kalam will meet with his counterpart President Karolos Papoulias for discussions on issues of common interest, while a state banquet will also be hosted Papoulias.

The Indian president will also meet with prime minister Costas Karamanlis, who will also host a lunch in Kalam's honour.

Kalam's itinerary further includes meetings with Greek parliament president Anna Psarouda-Benaki, who will present him with the Gold Medal of the Hellenic Parliament; Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, who will present the Indian dignitary with the Gold Medal of Merit of the City of Athens; main opposition PASOK leader and Socialist International (SI) president George Papandreou; and the ministers of tourism and development, as well as intellectuals and academics.

A reception will be hosted in Kalam's honour by the Indian Ambassador to Greece.
Further, Kalam will deliver a keynote address to a distinguished gathering organized by the prestigious think tank, the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), on the theme "Dynamics of Peace and Prosperity".

The Indian President’s itinerary also includes a visit to the Hellenic Aerospace Industries complex (HAI) located at Schimatari, , and the National Council for Scientific Research "Demokritos", where he will address the scientific community on "Convergence of Technologies" and visit research facilities. He will also visit the Hadzipatreion rehabilitation centre for children with cerebral palsy and will present ten computers in support of the centre’s activities.

President Kalam will also pay a visit to the Faliron War cemetery in Athens, where there are graves of Indian servicemen who died during World War II.
Greece has cordial and friendly relations with India, supports Indian’s claim for permanent membership of the UNSC, and was one of the countries that co-sponsored the G-4 draft resolution on UNSC expansion, the embassy announcement said. Recent visits to Athens of minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharmain August 2006, and a Parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha (House of the People, the Indian parliament's lower house) Somnath Chatterjee in September 2006, and a visit by Greek National Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis to India in February 2007, have given momentum to relations between Greece and India. Greece is a member of the EU, the Eurozone, the Schengen Group, and has been playing an active role in the integration of South Eastern European and Balkan countries into the EU, the embassy announcement noted.

It said that about 13,000 Indian migrants, mostly from Punjab, are in Greece, working mainly on farms.

According to figures released by the embassy, Indian exports to Greece rose sharply to 614 million dollars in 2006 from 396 million dollars in 2005, marking an increase of 55 percent, while Greek exports to India jumped to 63 million dollars in 2006 from 42 million dollars in 2005, rising by 48 percent. 

Partnerships between Greek and Indian companies have also been increasing. Greek banks have contracted IT services from Indian companies such as i-Flex solutions, Infosys, and TCS, while Eurodyn, a Greek IT company, has set up a subsidiary in Bangalore. Also,  i-Flex solutions is likely to set up a company in Greece in the near future, the embassy press release continued.

Further, Pisani Group of Greece has set up a 50 percent joint venture in Dindigul for exports of speciality stone and granite products, M. J. Mailis of Greece has set up a joint venture in Gujarat for production of secondary packaging materials. and Jain Irrigation Systems has invested in Eurodrip, a Greek company.

"There is good potential for Indian and Greek companies to cooperate fruitfully in areas such as IT, shipping, tourism, manufacturing, and energy," the embassy announcement concluded.

Source: Athens News Agency

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