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 The President of India, Dr. A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam made a State visit to Greece from 25 to 28 April
2007, leading a high ranking delegation consisting of Mr. Vilas Muttemwar, Minister-in-charge of the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, Mr. Pyaremohan Mohapatra and Mr. T. R. Zeilang, Members of the
Rajya Sabha; four eminent scientists, and senior officials. This visit
comes 21 years after the last State visit by an Indian President to
Greece in Nov 1986, and highlights the growing interaction between the
two countries in various fields.
During the visit, an agreement for
cooperation in Science and Technology was signed, providing a
framework for cooperation in this important area between institutions
of both countries. The two countries also concluded an
agreement on promotion and protection of investments, and a MoU for
cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Greece and the Foreign
Service Institute of India.
 President Kalam met with his
counterpart President Karolos Papoulias, the Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis, the President of Parliament Prof. Anna Benaki-
Psarouda and the Mayor of the City of Athens, Dr. Nikitas Kaklamanis
who awarded him the Gold Medal of Merit of the City of Athens. He also met with distinguished personalities, including Mr. George Papandreou (President of Socialist International and leader
of the Opposition), the Minister of Development and of Tourism,
and academics including the President of the Indo-Hellenic Society for
Culture and Development Dr. Dimitrios Vassiliadis. A reception was hosted in his honour
by the Indian Ambassador. President Kalam delivered a keynote
address to a distinguished gathering organized by the prestigious
think tank, the Hellenic Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign
Policy (ELIAMEP), on “Dynamics of Peace and Prosperity” where the
students of Hindi and Indian History and Culture have also been
invited.
The President’s engagements included a
visit to the Hellenic Aerospace Industries complex (HAI) and the
National Council for Scientific Research “Demokritos” where he
delivered an address to the scientific community on "Convergence of
Technologies" and visited research facilities. He also visited the Hadzipatreion rehabilitation centre
for children with cerebral palsy and presented ten computers in support of the centre’s activities.
President Kalam paid a visit to the Phaleiron War cemetery in
Athens, where there are graves of Indian servicemen who died during
World War II.
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Visiting
President APJ Abdul Kalam got a pleasant
surprise when he was welcomed by Greek President Karolos Papoulias
in Sanskrit at a banquet hosted in his honour.
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''Rashtrapati
Mahabhaga, Sur Swagatam Yavana Deshe (Respected President,You are
Welcome to Greece),'' said Mr Populias as Dr Kalam entered the
Banquet hall here last night.
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The
Greel President told Dr Kalam that he learnt Sanskrit, the
ancient India language that is related to the ancient Greek
language, in Germany and used the language with such a rich history
to welcome the Indian President.
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He said
' India and Greece were the birthplaces of great
civilizations, which at certain point of time, in the era of
Alexander the Great, met and formed an entirely particular
relationship between them.'' Replying to his welcome, Dr Kalam said
he was happy to be in Greece which has contributed so much to
civilization.
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''Greece
is the crucible of democracy and India is the World's
largest democracy. My visit has been a rewarding experience,'' he
said.
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