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Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias has said India has become an indispensable partner for Europe, underlining the growing strategic and economic importance of India for the European Union and Greece in particular.

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Speaking at the India-EU Forum 2026, Dendias said that perceptions in Europe about India had evolved significantly over time. "Maybe in the past, India was a nice-to-have but not a necessary-to-have. Now India is necessary-to-have," he said. Highlighting economic cooperation, the Greek minister expressed strong support for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, saying it would deliver substantial benefits. "The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India, I think, will serve a huge purpose, both for Europe, and individually for Greece as well," Dendias said.

Inaugural India-EU Forum Details

The inaugural India-EU Forum concluded in New Delhi on Saturday after two days of wide-ranging discussions on strengthening cooperation between India and the European Union across trade, security, technology and geopolitical domains.

Organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Ananta Centre, the Track 1.5 Forum was held from February 6 to February 7 and brought together more than 200 senior policymakers, industry leaders, strategic experts and thought leaders from India and EU Member States, the MEA stated in a post on X.

According to the MEA, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the forum's inaugural session on February 6, while Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal participated in a special session the same day. Meanwhile, Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias addressed a special fireside chat on February 7.

"The inaugural edition of the India-EU Forum was organised by MEA in partnership with Ananta Aspen on 6-7 Feb, 2026. EAM S Jaishankar addressed the inaugural session of the Forum on 6 Feb. CIM Piyush Goyal participated in the Forum in a special session on 6 Feb. The Greek Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, addressed a special fireside chat at the Forum on 7 Feb. The Forum brought together more than 200 policymakers, thought leaders, and policy practitioners from India and Europe, who deliberated on important areas of cooperation between India and Europe," the post read.

The discussions took place at an opportune moment, following the recent India-EU Summit and the conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with participants deliberating on ways to translate strategic convergence into actionable outcomes. (ANI)