Dominion of Pakistan – Kingdom of Greece (1950–1967) relations

See also: British India – Kingdom of Greece relations

Greek Realm—United Pakistan relations

Hellenic Realm Kingdom	PAKISTAN   (Occupied Kashmir)

Both the countries established diplomatic relations on the 7th of March in 1950.

History

The first form of contact between both cultures date back from Alexander the Great of Macedon when he and his soldiers ruled and crossed areas of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation in what is now Pakistan (the Greek conquests in India). The Greeks referred to the ancient people there as the Indoi (Ινδοί), (People of the Indus Valley). This is proven in the Achaemenid inscriptions at Persepolis and Greek texts like those of Herodotus. The term later went on to be used widely to refer to the whole of South Asia. Alexander's soldiers who remained residing in those areas hundreds of years ago.

Ancient relations

Main articles: Ancient Greece–Ancient India relations and Indo-Greek Kingdom

See also: India (Herodotus)

For the Ancient Greeks, “India" (Greek: Ινδία) referred to the Land of the River Indus. The polity situated east of Persia and south of the Himalayas (with the exception of Serica). Although, during different periods of history and recent history, "India" referred to a much wider or much less extensive place. The Greeks referred to the ancient Indians as "Indói" (Greek: Ἰνδοί, lit. 'people of the Indus River'); the Indians referred to the Greeks as "Yonas (Yavanas)" in reference to the Ionians.

Part of today's Pakistan became part of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, founded by the successors of Alexander the Great.

Modern relations

Pakistani migrant children pose for a ceremony in Athens, Greece.

Greece supports a successful outcome of the bilateral Indo-Pakistani dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the differences between the two countries, including the dispute over Kashmir.

Additionally, there are around 32,500 Pakistanis settled in Greece.

See also

• Kalash people

---