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Lately, a number of European international locations have proven a eager curiosity in taking part in a better position 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.
Nevertheless, such a notion is quick altering, particularly with Italy’s lively embrace of the Indo-Pacific. Greece is the most recent European nation to show towards the Indo-Pacific, and holds nice potential to emerge as a big 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 the moment, delivery contributes a formidable 8 % of the nation’s GDP. Not solely does Greece actively take part in worldwide maritime safety initiatives akin to EUNAVFOR ATALANTA, but it surely additionally performs an instrumental position in shaping the EU’s maritime safety agenda. It was below 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 models, as of November 2023. In 2022, Athens accepted 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 Crimson Sea mission, Operation Aspides, is being headed by Greece with the operational command middle primarily based in Larissa.
Evidently Greece is a robust maritime energy in its quick periphery, however the important thing query is whether or not it will possibly develop its affect in distant geographies – or is even curious about 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 each 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 deal with 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 deal with, 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 deal with 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 so as 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 very inclusive Indo-Pacific. Notably, Greece has a optimistic 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 vital maritime associate for China and the position Chinese language funding has performed in reworking 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 develop cooperation with Indo-Pacific international locations. The stage is about for Athens to make its presence felt on this area the place international locations are vying for affect. Athens additionally sees an incredible alternative within the India-Center East-Europe Financial Hall, the place it’s eager to turn out to be an “integral member,” which is able to additional permit Greece to turn out to be an vital actor in shaping the regional connectivity agenda. Now it stays to be seen how lively regional international locations can be in capitalizing on Athens’ growing alignment and substantive engagement, which is unfolding steadily.
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