Bilateral relations between India and Greece have grown steadily over the years. A few additional steps can further enhance and deepen the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The May 8, 2021 India-EU Summit in Portugal is expected to further invigorate and provide a fresh direction to the bilateral relationship, even as both sides grapple with bilateral, regional and global challenges.

In the absence of even an FTA, the main challenge before policy makers from India and the EU will be to continue justifying the relevance of a strategic partnership to their respective constituencies.

Seen from this part of the globe, it is indeed relevant to have a preliminary analysis of the EU-India strategic partnership after the EEAS has formally come into existence.

Since both India and EU face the same threat of religious radicalism at home and from across the border, focused cooperation on this issue must be given serious thought.

The Seventh EU-India Summit will be held on October 13th in Helsinki. The annual summits take place alternately in New Delhi and in the capital of the incumbent European Union presidency - at present held by Finland - under the existing framework of EU-India relationship, which was given the shape of a 'strategic partnership' at the EU-India Summit of 2004 in The Hague. The Joint Action Plan (JAP) adopted at the New Delhi Summit in 2005 was a comprehensive programme of EU-India engagement in the coming years.