Modi expresses support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus

In a sign of India’s expanding involvement in the eastern Mediterranean region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (May 22, 2026) said that India’s ties with Cyprus are based on “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Welcoming Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Mr. Modi laid out an ambitious canvas for the bilateral relationship, presenting Cyprus as an “investment gateway” to the European Union. Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

India and Cyprus announced the elevation of their bilateral ties to the level of a “strategic partnership”, and also formed a roadmap for defence cooperation. Cypriot officials said that Nicosia is interested in buying items from the Indian defence industry. 

Supporting Cyprus against Turkey

“India-Cyprus relations are strong as well as futuristic. Our relationship is based on democracy and the rule of law. We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. India is totally committed to these principles and will remain so in the future,” the Prime Minister said in a statement, after the two sides held delegation-level talks and sealed multiple agreements at Hyderabad House.

Mr. Modi’s reference to “sovereignty and territorial integrity” is being widely interpreted as support to Cyprus as it continues to deal with Northern Cyprus, which Turkey recognises as a separate state. Speaking off the record, Cypriot officials referred to their concerns regarding Turkey, which they noted had extended help to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Cyprus also extended support to India’s position on the reform of global institutions like the UN Security Council and reiterated its condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Bridge to the EU

In his remarks, the visiting President presented Cyprus-India ties as an entry point for India’s wider relationship with the European Union with which India concluded a Free Trade Agreement earlier this year.

“Cyprus is uniquely positioned to serve as a trusted, stable, reliable bridge between India and Europe, a bridge between the European Union, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the wider Middle East,” said Mr. Christodoulides, noting that “regional connectivity initiatives including the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC)” featured in the talks on Friday (May 22, 2026).

IMEEC ambitions

Following the talks, senior Cypriot officials said that Cyprus is eager to provide transhipment facilities for the global traffic of commodities and cargo that are affected or delayed because of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. To help remedy the current disruption in supply chains, Cyprus has started powering the IMEEC and has formed a ‘Friends of IMEEC’ grouping within the EU. The officials referred to support from Greece and Italy to the project as well. “We had extensive discussions on IMEEC. We agree that we need to start the building blocks in order for IMEEC to be realised,” a Cypriot official said. Direct flights will soon be launched between India and Cyprus, Cypriot officials said.

They also shared an ambitious plan to use the India-Cyprus relationship to energise the IMEEC project that will also restructure the security architecture of the eastern Mediterranean where Turkey is an active player because of its stakes in northern Cyprus. In 1974, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus in response to a military coup in Cyprus that was supported by Greece.

Defence partnership

Mr. Modi pointed out that Cyprus is one of the top ten investors in India and over the last decade, investments from Cyprus into India have nearly doubled. He said that the two sides have zeroed in on the defence and security partnership as an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.

According to a joint statement issued at the end of the visit, Mr. Modi and Mr. Christodoulides welcomed the signing of an MoU between the Cyprus Defence and Space Industries Cluster (CyDSIC) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers. The two sides will intensify collaboration in cybersecurity, the maritime domain, and emerging technologies, it said.

Cypriot officials said Nicosia is willing to buy platforms produced by the Indian defence industry, adding that it will explore possibilities of defence purchases from India using its defence budget of 1.2 billion euros.

Global challenges

India has seen that its relationship with Cyprus has “survived the test of time,” Mr. Modi said. “Today, we also discussed global issues. Whether Ukraine or West Asia, we want these conflicts to be stoppled through peace building efforts. We also agreed that in view of global challenges, the reform of global institutions is an urgent and important matter,” the Prime Minister added.

Cypriot officials said that the EU-India FTA will become operationalised by the end of the year which will prompt greater exports from India to the EU. At that point, Cyprus could serve as the landing point for Indian products heading into the EU, they said. Indian companies can build infrastructure and storage facilities in Cyprus to deal with the uncertain times and possible disruption to supply chains due to the conflict in West Asia. Cypriot officials pointed out that while calling for IMEEC initiatives, Cyprus also continues to call for the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.