Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday, marking a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Cyprus.
The meeting is expected to feature extensive discussions on expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, technology, education, culture, mobility, defence and security. Emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, innovation and research are also on the agenda, reflecting the forward-looking nature of the partnership.
The leaders are further slated to exchange views on regional and global developments, with a particular emphasis on coordination in multilateral forums.
As part of the official state ceremonies, Prime Minister Modi will host a luncheon in honour of the visiting dignitary, while President Droupadi Murmu will receive President Christodoulides and host an official banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also scheduled to call on the Cypriot President during his stay, underscoring the depth of engagement across multiple levels of government.
President Christodoulides arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening after completing the Mumbai leg of his visit, where he was accorded a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour. His four-day State Visit, taking place from May 20 to 23 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, marks his first trip to India in his current capacity.
He is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, as well as senior officials and business leaders, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the engagement.
The visit carries heightened diplomatic weight, coming less than a year after Prime Minister Modi’s landmark trip to Cyprus in June 2025, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Mediterranean nation in over two decades. Adding further strategic significance, Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which positions the dialogue within a broader India-EU framework.
The official itinerary began in Maharashtra, where President Christodoulides was welcomed by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mumbai airport. The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted in a post on X that India and Cyprus share time-tested relations rooted in shared values and strong people-to-people ties.
While in Mumbai, the Cypriot President participated in a business forum aimed at boosting commercial and investment ties, with a strong focus on expanding broader economic engagement. He emphasised that his engagements in Mumbai were about building new momentum in Cyprus-India relations, increasing strategic depth through deeper business, investment and financial cooperation.
He noted that the productive discussions opened new avenues for two-way investments and partnerships in financial services, technology, innovation, shipping, connectivity and energy.
With both nations preparing to mark 65 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, officials have described this state visit as a crucial step in building on the growing momentum of the bilateral partnership.
It is also seen as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation within the broader India-European Union framework, ensuring that the relationship continues to evolve in line with shared strategic interests.
ANI
