PM Modi snubs Turkiye, backs Cyprus’ integrity
Top honour for Modi
President Nikos Christodoulides conferred on PM Modi the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III — the highest honour bestowed by Cyprus on foreign Heads of Government.
‘Not an era of war’
PM Modi said he and President Christodoulides “expressed concern” over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe, and they both agree that “this is not an era of war”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reiterated New Delhi’s unwavering support for the “independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity” of the Republic of Cyprus, which is locked in a six-decade-long territorial dispute with Turkiye. This comes days after Turkiye backed Pakistan in the conflict with India.
PM Modi, who made a stopover in Cyprus en route to Canada for the G7 Summit, visited the demilitarised Green Line — a UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the two parts of Cyprus, with one being under illegal occupation of Turkiye. The PM was accompanied by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides.
The two leaders were seen speaking to each other with the flag of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the backdrop.
A joint statement after the Modi-Christodoulides bilateral meeting said the two sides expressed a strong commitment to the resumption of UN-facilitated efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ‘Cyprus Question’ on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions.
The leaders reviewed progress in the ongoing bilateral cooperation and discussed trade and investment, defence, fintech, maritime and shipping, connectivity, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Mentioning IMEC as a catalyst for constructive regional cooperation, the joint statement said Cyprus had a role as a gateway to Europe and, in this context, had the prospect to serve as a regional hub for trans-shipment, storage, distribution, and logistics.
Cyprus has emerged as one of the top 10 sources of foreign direct investment for India with cumulative inflows of around $ 15 billion.
Earlier, Modi spoke of the strategic direction of the India-Cyprus partnership. Cyprus is to assume the EU Presidency next year.
The two sides signed an agreement to establish an Indian Studies chair at the University of Nicosia and decided to work towards finalising a mobility pilot programme arrangement by the end of 2025.
They further agreed on preparing an action plan to guide bilateral relations between Cyprus and India for the next five years.
PM Modi expressed appreciation for the steadfast support of Cyprus to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism.
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