Greek Defence Minister Dendias praised the India-EU FTA.
New Delhi [India], February 8 (ANI): Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias has stated that India has become an indispensable partner for Europe, highlighting India’s growing strategic and economic importance for the European Union and Greece in particular.
Speaking at the India-EU Forum 2026, Dendias said that Europe’s perception of India has changed significantly over time.
“Perhaps before, India was a good partner, but not necessarily an indispensable one. Now, India is an indispensable partner,” he said.
Emphasizing economic cooperation, the Greek minister expressed strong support for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, stating that it would yield significant benefits.
“I think that a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India would serve a major purpose for both Europe and Greece individually,” Dendias said. The first India-EU Forum concluded in New Delhi on Saturday, following two days of extensive discussions on strengthening cooperation between India and the European Union across trade, security, technology, and geopolitical domains.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a post on X that the MEA, in collaboration with the Ananta Centre, organized this Track 1.5 forum, which took place from February 6 to 7. It brought together over 200 senior policymakers, industry leaders, strategic experts, and thought leaders from India and EU member states.
According to the MEA, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the inaugural session of the forum on February 6, while Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal participated in a special session on the same day. Meanwhile, Greek National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias addressed a special fireside chat on February 7. The post stated, “The first edition of the India-EU Forum was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Ananta Aspen on February 6-7, 2026. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the inaugural session of the forum on February 6. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal participated in a special session at the forum on February 6. The National Defence Minister of Greece, Nikos Dendias, addressed a special fireside chat at the forum on February 7. The forum brought together over 200 policymakers, thought leaders, and policy practitioners from India and Europe to discuss key areas of cooperation between India and Europe.”
