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Lately, a number of European international locations have proven a eager curiosity in taking part in a larger function within the Indo-Pacific. When the European Union got here out with the Indo-Pacific technique in 2021, it was largely pushed by France, Germany, and the Netherlands, which had already launched their respective paperwork outlining public positions on the Indo-Pacific. Different EU members states had been nonetheless considered as largely uninterested within the occasions happening in what was perceived as a distant geographic theater.
Nonetheless, such a notion is quick altering, particularly with Italy’s energetic embrace of the Indo-Pacific. Greece is the newest European nation to show towards the Indo-Pacific, and holds nice potential to emerge as a major regional actor.
Because the nation with the longest shoreline throughout the EU, Greece has successfully utilized its geographic potential and has emerged because the world’s largest ship-owning nation. At present, transport contributes a formidable 8 % of the nation’s GDP. Not solely does Greece actively take part in worldwide maritime safety initiatives reminiscent of EUNAVFOR ATALANTA, but it surely additionally performs an instrumental function in shaping the EU’s maritime safety agenda. It was underneath the Greek presidency that EU adopted the EU Maritime Technique in 2014.
Greece additionally has one of many strongest naval forces within the EU, with 11 submarines, three frigates, three mine/countermine warfare ships, and 36 offshore patrol items, as of November 2023. In 2022, Athens authorised what’s being described because the “largest naval modernization” endeavor in 20 years. An extra testomony to Athens’ maritime capabilities is the truth that the European Union’s Purple Sea mission, Operation Aspides, is being headed by Greece with the operational command middle primarily based in Larissa.
Evidently Greece is a powerful maritime energy in its fast periphery, however the important thing query is whether or not it will probably increase its affect in distant geographies – or is even focused on doing so. The reply is a powerful sure. Athens’ curiosity within the Indo-Pacific is linked to its need to emerge as a bridge between Europe and Asia. For Greece, nearer strategic ties with India offers the important thing entry level into Asia, the place its affect may be very restricted.
Throughout Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic go to to Greece in August final yr, each sides “shared their imaginative and prescient of a free, open and rules-based Mediterranean Sea and Indo-Pacific…” After the go to, in an op-ed for an Indian every day, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in context of rising protection and safety ties with India, introduced that the Hellenic Air Power and Navy would “quickly be current within the Indo-Pacific.”
Lower than a yr later, Mitsotakis made a state go to to India on February 21-22 throughout which he additionally served because the chief visitor and delivered the keynote tackle on the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship convention on geopolitics and geostrategy co-organized by the Ministry of Exterior Affairs.
Final yr, it was Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who delivered this tackle, the place she repeatedly referred to the Indo-Pacific and even mentioned “what occurs within the Indo-Pacific has direct repercussions in Europe.” Unsurprisingly, Mitsotakis in his tackle reiterated the significance of the area to EU, and highlighted how Greece in endeavor measures to “intensify the partnership between the EU and international locations of the Indo-Pacific.”
Past India, Greece has additionally expressed curiosity in working with Japan within the Indo-Pacific. In January 2023, Mitsotakis met with Japanese Prime Minister, Kishida Fumio and either side affirmed the “inseparability of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific safety” and mirrored on the “necessity of additional strengthening cooperation between each international locations and like-minded international locations with the intention to reply to the altering strategic atmosphere.” This comes at a time when Greece is seeking to deepen its relations with United States, together with expanded protection cooperation via the up to date U.S.-Greece Mutual Protection Cooperation Settlement.
For Indo-Pacific regional international locations, Greece’s participation is a welcome transfer because it displays Athens’ dedication to a really inclusive Indo-Pacific. Notably, Greece has a constructive relationship with China; the truth that this has not prevented Athens from taking part within the “free and open Indo-Pacific” discourse bellies Beijing’s claims of it being exclusionary in nature and directed at “containing” China. Certainly, Greece continues to be an necessary maritime companion for China and the function Chinese language funding has performed in remodeling the Piraeus Port is positively acknowledged in Greece. The China-Greece partnership will solely develop, proving that embracing the Indo-Pacific idea doesn’t preclude cordial ties with Beijing.
With Greece set to host the Our Ocean Convention in April this yr, Athens is eager to increase cooperation with Indo-Pacific international locations. The stage is ready for Athens to make its presence felt on this area the place international locations are vying for affect. Athens additionally sees an excellent alternative within the India-Center East-Europe Financial Hall, the place it’s eager to develop into an “integral member,” which can additional enable Greece to develop into an necessary actor in shaping the regional connectivity agenda. Now it stays to be seen how energetic regional international locations shall be in capitalizing on Athens’ rising alignment and substantive engagement, which is unfolding steadily.
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