Greek envoy stresses on Hamas' dissolution, cautions about war's impact on IMEC

NEW DELHI: As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 25th day, the Ambassador of Greece to India, Dimitrios Ioannou expressed Greece's unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its actions, labelling it as a terrorist organisation and underscored that a solution to the Middle-East war is not possible without Hamas' dissolution.

"Greece condemns in absolute terms Hamas and the killings, the crimes that have been committed and considers Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. There cannot be a solution to the Middle East conflict without the dissolution of the Hamas terrorist organisation. A solution should be advanced and implemented through political dialogue," said the Greek envoy in an interview with ANI on Tuesday.

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas also brought to the forefront discussions about the future of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). The Greek envoy while weighing in on this matter, emphasised that the corridor is an "absolute necessity," to India's economic landscape, adding it could experience some delays but may proceed without significant hindrance.

Ambassador Ioannou, while speaking at an Observer Research Foundation event, also highlighted the significance of the India-Middle East Corridor as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for the Indian economy.

He stressed that this corridor, which has been in the planning stages, is deemed a necessity. "It seems to me a very peculiar thing why this idea about the economic corridor did not appear to some minds ten or five years before because it seems to me like an absolute necessity. India Middle East Corridor is an absolutely necessary alternative to China's BRI for the Indian economy. It will be built one way or another," said the Greek envoy at the ORF event.

The Ambassador also mentioned that it could experience some delays but may proceed without significant hindrance. "And I don't know whether it will be delayed by the unhappy events now but I think that economic necessity is the strongest motivation in international relations. So it can be a delay of one or two years or it can be no delay at all because the fact is that this is still a project on paper and we don't know how long it will take," he added.

Greece firmly supports the concept of a two-state solution and emphasises the importance of safeguarding innocent civilian lives in the region. "First, we condemn the atrocities made by Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. We would not be able to have a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict without a solution on the end of Hamas. It is a factor to play in this situation...Second, we believe in the solution of two states...The lives of innocent civilians should be saved and protected...," said Ambassador Ioannou in an interview with ANI.

In an interesting observation, Ambassador Ioannou revealed the immense popularity of Indian actress Nargis in Greece during the 1960s. The cultural connection, according to them, illustrates that India was not perceived as a distant country but was well-known in Greece.

"The most popular actress in Greece in the in the 60s was Nargis. I remember that my mother was drawn from the cinemas to the movies to watch the movies of Nargis. I always sing the song from Mother India. So Greeks, in many ways, for many reasons, they were very much informed about India. India was not at all such a distant country as China," he added.

Additionally, Ambassador Ioannou highlighted the substantial maritime cooperation between Greece and India. "Greece has the biggest maritime fleet in the world...If at this moment there is an Indian product delivered somewhere around the world to its final consumer, there is one chance in five that it was transported by a Greek ship. It's the same the other way around where something is delivered at this, moment here in India coming from abroad. There is also a 1.5 chance that it was transported by the Greek fleet...That means that even without waiting for the economic corridor to be built and completed the Greek merchant fleet contributed to the development and the growth of the Indian economy. And it will continue doing so in the coming years..."

Regarding Greece's support for India in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Ambassador Ioannou reaffirmed Greece's backing, emphasising the necessity of India's participation in the UNSC due to its status as the most populous country, which holds considerable influence in international diplomacy.

He said, "From the very first moment Greece has been supportive and we will support it because it is absolutely necessary that the most populous country be a part of the Security Council. India is a factor in international diplomacy..." He wrapped up by underscoring the promising development of India-Greece relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Greece. "After the visit of PM Modi to Greece the relations of India and Greece have entered a very promising stage.

They will be developing in the coming years...," said the Greek envoy.