India and Greece on Monday took a significant step toward strengthening their strategic and defence partnership as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Greek Defence Minister Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias in New Delhi.
During the meeting, the two sides signed a Joint Declaration of Intent aimed at enhancing defence industrial cooperation and exchanged a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026, outlining future military engagements between the armed forces of both countries.
Both ministers reaffirmed that the India-Greece Strategic Partnership is anchored in shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect. They agreed to expand the capacity of their indigenous defence industries by fostering collaboration between India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and Greece’s defence modernisation programme under Agenda 2030. The Joint Declaration is expected to serve as the foundation for developing a five-year roadmap for defence industrial cooperation.
Discussions also covered key issues related to regional peace and security, with both sides acknowledging the steady deepening of bilateral defence cooperation and strategic ties. Convergence between the two ancient seafaring nations on important maritime security issues was highlighted during the talks.
In a notable development, Greece announced the deployment of a Greek International Liaison Officer at the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, reflecting growing cooperation in maritime domain awareness.
Earlier in the day, the Greek Defence Minister paid homage at the National War Memorial, laying a wreath in honour of India’s fallen soldiers. He also inspected a Tri-Service Guard of Honour at the Manekshaw Centre.
As part of the visit, the Hellenic delegation visited key defence and industrial establishments in Bengaluru and interacted with representatives from Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), the Indian defence industry, and start-ups in New Delhi.
The visit reaffirmed the long-standing warm and close relations between India and Greece and underscored the growing momentum in their strategic partnership, particularly in the defence and security domain.
