PM Modi To Hold Talks With Cyprus President on Friday
The visit of Christodoulides is taking place within a year of the visit of Modi to Cyprus in June last year, which was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides in New Delhi on Friday, during which discussions on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, technology and defence, among others, are expected to take place. The Cypriot President will reach the national capital on Thursday evening from Mumbai, where he had landed earlier on Wednesday and attended a business forum.
In Mumbai, Christodoulides on Thursday said the island nation can act as a gateway for Indian companies seeking to expand into Europe and announced the setting up of a trade office in India's financial capital that will become operational from September 1 for facilitating cross-border partnerships.
Addressing the Cyprus-India business forum in Mumbai, the Cyprus President said the Mediterranean nation is ready to act as a launchpad for Indian businesses looking to access not only the European Union but also the wider Eastern Mediterranean, Gulf and North African markets from a stable European base.
"The Cyprus Trade Center... is designed to function as a hub for business connectivity, helping Indian companies explore opportunities in Cyprus and across Europe, encouraging partnerships with Cypriot enterprises, and facilitating access to the European Union through a stable, transparent, and fully EU-compliant business environment," Christodoulides said.
Pitching Cyprus as a preferred destination for Indian businesses, Christodoulides highlighted his country's European Union and Eurozone membership, access to the EU single market of over 450 million consumers, a common law-based legal framework and an English-speaking business environment.
The Cypriot President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising foreign minister Constantinos Kombos and minister of transport, communications and works Alexis Vafeades besides senior officials and business leaders. The visit of Christodoulides is taking place within a year of the visit of Modi to Cyprus in June last year, which was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades.
In New Delhi on Friday, Modi and Christodoulides are expected to exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, including cooperation in multilateral fora. The Cypriot President will also meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will also host an official banquet in his honour. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar will also call on Christodoulides.
“India and Cyprus share a close and time-tested partnership. The visit will build upon the ongoing momentum in bilateral relations, reflecting the shared commitment of both sides to further deepen cooperation, including in the wider India–EU context. The two countries will mark 65 years of diplomatic relations on February 10, 2027," New Delhi said.
