EAM Jaishankar, Greek counterpart unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Athens

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar along with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Athens on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said that the "universality and timelessness of Gandhi's message is recognised around the world.

"Joined FM @NikosDendias and Mayor of Athens @KBakoyannis at the unveiling of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The universality and timelessness of the Mahatma's message is recognised around the world," Jaishankar tweeted.

Greece on Saturday signed and handed over the agreement on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to India. The agreement was signed during EAM Jaishankar's visit to Greece.

During his visit, the two sides had a comprehensive exchange of views on further consolidating the bilateral relations, which continue to deepen and expand rapidly.

"The Greek Foreign Minister signed and handed over the Agreement on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to the Indian side," read the statement released after the meeting between Jaishankar and Dendias.

Jaishankar welcomed Athens to the family of the ISA and both sides agreed that the agreement will assist the two countries in realisation of the energy goals set by the respective governments to make renewable energy a significant part of the energy supply, according to the joint statement.

Initiated by India in 2015, the ISA is an alliance of over 120, most of them lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Considering their rich ancient past, the two sides agreed to continue their relationship in the field of culture. Both sides reiterated the importance of signing the Cultural Exchange Programme for the period 2021-2025 at an early date, according to the joint statement.

The two sides also shared views on regional and global issues of mutual interest in the context of new geo-political and geo-economic realities, including the Indo-Pacific, the MEA stated.

They noted with satisfaction the convergence of each-others' vision for a free, open, inclusive and cooperative Indo-Pacific ensuring connectivity and growth for all in the region.

( With inputs from ANI )