New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Greece will help in further deepening the relationship between the two nations.

In a special briefing ahead of Modi’s trip to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra said "The visit (to Greece) would give both sides an opportunity to discuss the regional and global issues of mutual interest and help broaden and deepen our bilateral engagements".

He said both India and Greece will look forward to expanding and diversifying cooperation in the areas of trade and investment. defence and security partnership, as also infrastructure cooperation..

Calling Greece one of India’s "important European partners", the Foreign Secretary said it was the gateway to Europe and also to the EU market.

He said both India and Greece are not just modern democracies but also share historical and cultural relations. and pointed out that it has been a supporter of India's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

"During his visit, he (Modi) will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discuss ways to further deepen the ties between the two nations. He will also interact with business leaders from both countries. He will also have an interaction with the Indian community in Greece" he added.

Kwatra said after completing his engagements in Johannesburg, the PM will travel to Greece for an official visit on August 25 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart He said, the last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983 when Indira Gandhi had gone to the European nation.

On Modi's trip to South Africa, the Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister will depart on Monday morning for Johannesburg, where he will participate in the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22-24.

He said on August 22 evening, PM Modi will participate in the BRICS Leaders' Retreat where discussions are expected to be held on global developments of concern.

Kwatra said on August 23, the Prime Minister will participate in the BRICS Summit which will focus on Intra BRICS Cooperation, reform of the multilateral system and counter-terrorism. The theme of the BRICS summit this year is "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism."

He said, on the last day of his stay (August 24) the Prime Minister will attend BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue. UNI JA SSP