• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides in capital city Nicosia on June 16.
• The two leaders reaffirmed the shared values that underpin India-Cyprus relations.
• PM Modi thanked Cyprus for its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April and the solidarity and support extended to India in its fight against terrorism.
Key points of the meeting:
• Both leaders took stock of the ongoing cooperation in various aspects of the bilateral relationship, including trade and investment, science and research, cultural cooperation and people-to-people ties, and explored avenues for collaboration in the new areas of fintech, startups, defence industry, connectivity, innovation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and mobility.
• They welcomed recent progress in economic, technological, and people-to-people ties, reflective of the dynamic and evolving nature of the relationship.
• The two sides agreed to establish a five-year road map to strengthen cooperation in strategic areas.
• Looking ahead to Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2026, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening EU-India relations.
• They also agreed to establish cyber and maritime security dialogues and a mechanism to have real time exchange of information on terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking issues.
• The leaders appreciated the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme signed in January 2025 which would give concrete shape to the defence partnership between the two countries.
• They welcomed the establishment of the India-Greece-Cyprus (IGC) Business and Investment Council to deepen economic engagement.
• Both sides discussed enhancing air connectivity to strengthen business, tourism, knowledge and innovation linkages.
• Recognising both India and Cyprus as maritime nations with deep-rooted naval traditions, the leaders also discussed expanding cooperation to include the maritime domain. They will encourage more regular port calls by Indian naval vessels and explore opportunities for joint maritime training and exercises to enhance maritime domain awareness and regional security.
• An MoU to establish an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chair at the University of Nicosia was signed during this visit.
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