From Cyprus-Turkey buffer zone, Modi extends support for Nicosia's territorial integrity
Prime Minister Modi's visit to Cyprus comes after Turkey, which invaded the Mediterranean nation in 1974, showed strong support for Pakistan following Operation Sindoor last month.
PM Modi was even given a guided tour of the ceasefire line between Cyprus and Turkey by President Nikos Christodoulides, with the Indian Prime Minister being shown the mountains near Nicosia, which is currently under Turkish occupation.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday strongly pitched for the 'territorial integrity' of Cyprus, the European nation which has since the 1970s been divided following an invasion by Turkey.
Ankara has propped up the regime in Northern Cyprus–the Turkish part located in the North Eastern portion of the island–which has no international recognition. The UN maintains a buffer zone between the two parts of Cyprus.
'India reiterated its unwavering and consistent support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, both sides emphasized the need to avoid unilateral actions as essential for creating a conducive environment for the resumption of meaningful negotiation,' the joint statement agreed upon by Modi and President Nikos Christodoulides said.
The joint statement added: 'Cyprus and India expressed their strong commitment to the resumption of UN-facilitated efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus Question on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the agreed UN framework and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.'
The President of Cyprus said that he had briefed Modi on the 'Cyprus Question', specifically on the 'occupation' of a part of its territory by Turkey, and calling for its own territorial integrity, while thanking India for its long support through the UN peacekeeping missions in the Mediterranean nation. A number of distinguished Indian military officers including Lt. General K.S. Thimayya, Lt.General P.S. Gyani and Major-General Dewan Prem Chand have served in UN Peacekeeping missions in Cyprus.
From Cyprus, the Prime Minister will travel to Canada to attend the G7 summit, before travelling to Croatia on 18 June for a bilateral visit, subsequent to which he will return to India.
Nicosia has positioned itself as a European base for India, with the two nations agreeing to strengthen cooperation in defence and security matters, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the country.
'To further strengthen defence and security cooperation, emphasis will be laid on the defence industry under the bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme. A separate dialogue will be started on cyber and maritime security,' PM Modi said during the joint statement to the press.
Earlier this year, New Delhi and Nicosia signed the bilateral defence cooperation programme. PM Modi announced that both nations would soon start work on a five-year action plan towards deepening defence cooperation.
The Indian Prime Minister added: 'To prevent terrorism, drug and arms smuggling, a mechanism for real time information exchange will be created between our agencies.'
President Christodoulides defended India's right to respond to terrorist attacks to protect its people, noting that this is Modi's first trip abroad since the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April, which left 26 people dead.
PM Modi was also awarded the Order of Makarios III by Christodoulides. The Indian Prime Minister has received over 20 international awards in the last eleven years.
IMEC, Trade & EU FTA
Cyprus has focused on positioning itself as a potential regional connectivity partner with India through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Christodoulides brought it up during the bilateral discussions with Modi, highlighting that its 'geo-strategic location' can be India's gateway to Europe.
'We also talked about increasing connectivity with the Mediterranean region. We agree that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will pave the way for peace and prosperity in the region,' said PM Modi.
As a part of regional connectivity, both Modi and Christodoulides welcomed the prospect of Indian shipping companies in establishing a presence in Cyprus, given its potential to 'serve as a regional hub for transshipment, storage, distribution, and logistics.'
The Indian Prime Minister reiterated that this is not an 'era for war', calling for dialogue and diplomacy to end the current conflicts in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. In that context, the Indian Prime Minister positioned IMEC as a potential peacemaker in the future.
During his visit, a number of agreements in the business sector were signed Sunday, including one between the National Payments Corporation of India ( NPCI) and Eurobank of Cyprus to introduce Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Cyprus for cross border transactions. India's GIFT city (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cyprus Stock Exchange to enable cross border flows.
'This year, the 'India, Cyprus and Greece Business and Investment Council' has also been launched. These initiatives will also boost mutual trade and investment between the two countries. Mutual cooperation in areas such as technology, innovation, health, agriculture, renewable energy and climate justice was also discussed in detail,' said the Indian Prime Minister.
Modi affirmed that the free trade agreement between India and the European Union should be concluded before the end of the year–a target which was set in February during the visit of the EU's college of commissioners to India.
The Prime Minister also called for direct air-to-air connectivity between the two countries, given the 'favoured' status Cyprus offers to Indian tourists, while emphasising that work on a mobility agreement will be started soon.
'In light of ongoing global crises, both sides committed to strengthening cooperation in emergency preparedness and coordinated crisis response. Drawing on past successful efforts, the leaders agreed to institutionalise coordination in evacuation and Search and Rescue (SAR) operations,' added the joint statement.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Cyprus bestows highest honour on Modi, PM dedicates it to friendly ties between both countries
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
33 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
‘How many countries backed India', asks TMC MP part of Operation Sindoor global diplomatic outreach
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was part of the Indian delegations that had visited 33 countries in recent weeks to convey India's stand on terrorism in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, on Monday, questioned the diplomatic success of the outreach. The Trinamool Congress National General Secretary asked how many countries extended explicit support to India after the outreach. Banerjee said that Indian citizens deserve transparency and accountability on the government's response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 dead. He asked 'How did four terrorists manage to infiltrate the border and launch an attack that killed 26 innocent civilians? Where is the accountability for this massive breach in national security?' He also questioned whether the four terrorists responsible for the 'brutal, religion-based massacre' had been brought to justice. Banerjee asked whether the attack was the result of an intelligence failure, and questioned the one-year extension granted to Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Kumar Deka barely a month after the attack. 'Why was he rewarded rather than held accountable?' the Trinamool Congress general secretary asked. 'What is the compulsion?' He also raised questions about United States President Donald Trump's claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. On Monday, the party's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien reiterated that it had been 55 days since the terror attack and demanded answers to the questions Banerjee had posed to the Centre earlier in the day. On Tuesday, the party highlighted that it had been 24 hours since Banerjee first demanded answers. 'The nation still waits,' the party said. 'The silence is deafening.' It's been 24 hours since Shri @abhishekaitc asked 5 crucial questions that demand answers. The nation still waits. The silence is deafening. #5Sawal — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 17, 2025 Banerjee's questions came less than a week after Prime Minister Modi hosted members of Indian delegations – comprising former diplomats and MPs – who had visited 33 countries in recent weeks to convey India's stand on cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. Banerjee was not initially among the delegation members announced by the government, which had picked Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan to represent the party. After criticising the Union government for unilaterally deciding who would represent the Trinamool Congress, party chief Mamata Banerjee withdrew Pathan's name and sent Banerjee instead. The diplomatic outreach by New Delhi came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Indian military strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what New Delhi claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. New Delhi's announcement on the decision to stop military action came minutes after Trump claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to the ceasefire. However, India has said that the decision to stop firing was taken bilaterally and that there was no intervention by the US. New Delhi has also maintained that ' the issue of trade did not come up ' in any discussion between Indian and US leaders.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Congress demands urgent evacuation of Indians from Iran
Congress on Tuesday demanded urgent measures from the Indian government to ensure the safe return of Indians from Iran, which is involved in a conflict with Israel. Pawan Khera, chairman of the media and publicity department of the All India Congress Committee, accused the government of not acting with alacrity on the issue of evacuating Indians from the war-torn nation. "We have been raising this issue for the past three days. Many of our students from Kashmir are there. We have been asking the government to wake up and realise that issuing advisories is not enough,' Khera told IANS. 'The government must make arrangements for the safe return of Indians from there,' he said. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday that amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Indian students in Tehran have been relocated from the city, and some Indian nationals have been assisted in leaving the country through the border with Armenia. As the Israel-Iran conflict entered its fifth day, the hostilities between the two nations continued to escalate. Several missiles from Iran were fired at Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Haifa and dozens of other cities across northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, confirmed the Israeli military. "Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for reasons of safety, through arrangements made by the Embassy. Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation," the MEA said. "Separately, some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the border with Armenia," it added. The Ministry also said that the Indian Embassy is continuously in touch with the community to provide all feasible assistance. It stated that further advisory will be issued for the security of Indian nationals. Earlier in the day, India urged its nationals in Iran and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) to evacuate Tehran and shift to a safer location following escalating tensions in the region.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Poll: 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump's trade and tariff policies
According to a poll by NBC News Decision Desk, 45 per cent of US citizens said that they completely disapproved of Trump's handling of the issue, while 15 per cent said they somewhat disapproved read more FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Trump delivers remarks on tariffs, at the White House. Reuters A majority of Americans surveyed to express their approval of tariffs said that they do not support US President Donald Trump's handling of tariffs and trade with countries across the world. According to a poll by NBC News Decision Desk, 45 per cent of US citizens said that they completely disapproved of Trump's handling of the issue, while 15 per cent said they somewhat disapproved. The latest poll results are similar to those from a mid-April survey, which found that 61 per cent of respondents disapproved of his handling of the issue, while 39 per cent approved. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That earlier poll followed Trump's April 2 'Liberation Day' announcement, in which he introduced over $600 billion in import tariffs affecting nearly all US trading partners, including tariffs nearing 100 per cent on Chinese goods. G7 pushes Trump for deal Meanwhile, world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday pushed US President Donald Trump to back away from his punishing trade war, arguing that it poses a risk to global economic stability. Most countries represented at the G7 are already subject to a 10 per cent baseline tariff imposed by Trump, with European countries and Japan also hit with additional levies on cars, steel, and aluminium. 'Several participants asked to end the tariff dispute as soon as possible,' a senior German official told reporters on condition of anonymity. They argued that the dispute weakens the G7's economies and 'in the end will only strengthen China,' the official said. Trump signs deal with UK However, Trump has successfully signed a deal with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the summit, which would give London protection from any future tariffs. 'I just signed it, and it's done. And so we have our trade agreement with the European Union, and it's a fair deal for both, and it produces a lot of jobs, a lot of income,' Trump told reporters. Asked if the UK has impunity against future tariffs, the US president said, 'The UK is very well protected. You know why? Because I like them – that's their ultimate protection.' With inputs from agencies
