India, Greece hold first-ever joint services staff talks
NEW DELHI: India and Greece have taken a major step towards strengthening their defence partnership by holding the inaugural India-Greece Joint Services Staff Talks in New Delhi. The landmark dialogue highlighted the growing convergence between the two countries on defence and security matters and signalled an intent to deepen military-to-military cooperation.The talks were co-chaired by senior officials from India’s Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff of Greece. Senior representatives from both sides held detailed discussions on expanding the scope and depth of bilateral defence engagement, reflecting a shared strategic outlook.In a post on X, HQ IDS said the talks focused on “further expanding bilateral military cooperation,” adding that discussions covered exchange programmes, capability development and measures to enhance military-to-military engagement.It noted that ongoing defence engagements and initiatives were comprehensively reviewed, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation and strengthening defence ties. “This engagement will herald a new era in India-Greece defence relations, marked by enhanced mutual trust and a shared commitment to regional and global security,” the post said.A key focus of the deliberations was on strengthening collaboration through structured exchange programmes, capability development initiatives and practical steps to enhance operational engagement between the armed forces of the two countries. Existing defence engagements were also reviewed to ensure continuity, while new avenues of cooperation across domains were identified, as per news agency ANI.The talks build on recent momentum in bilateral defence ties. Last month, India and Greece held their first India-Greece Maritime Security Dialogue in Athens. According to a statement by the ministry of external affairs, the two sides exchanged assessments of the maritime environment in the Mediterranean, Arctic and Indo-Pacific regions and discussed cooperation to ensure a secure maritime environment. Both countries agreed to advance cooperation across identified areas and decided that the next round of talks would be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.