- Saturday, April 27, 2024
The Indian PM, who visited the European country from South Africa where he attended the BRICS summit, was given a rousing welcome by Indian diaspora members.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (25) told Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the president of Greece where the former reached the same day, that the success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 marks not only a victory for the south Asian country but for the entire humankind.
He also thanked the Greek leader for her wishes on India’s successful lunar mission.
“The findings of the data collected by the Chandrayaan-3 mission will help the entire scientific fraternity and humankind,” Modi said.
“The success of Chandrayaan-3 is not only the victory of India, it is the triumph of the entire humankind,” he said.
Earlier, amid beats of drums and chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ (Salute you mother), Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora, who gathered in large numbers outside his hotel in Athens, the capital of Greece.
Holding Tricolours, many of them took selfies, and autographs and shook hands with the prime minister.
Modi was set to hold bilateral talks with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis to further cement bilateral ties.
This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the European country in 40 years.
Modi arrived in the Greek capital from South Africa where he attended the 15th BRICS Summit and held bilateral meetings with several world leaders to further cement India’s relations with those countries.
He was received by Greek foreign minister George Gerapetritis at the airport. After his arrival at the ancient city, Modi laid a wreath at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Athens. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during various wars.
Thereafter, he was accorded a Ceremonial Guard of Honour.
The last high-level visit to Greece took place in September 1983 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi travelled to the country.
(With agency inputs)
