India and Cyprus on Friday elevated their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the move would inject “new ambition and new momentum” into cooperation between the two countries in trade, defence, technology and security sectors.
The announcement came after delegation-level talks between Modi and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in New Delhi.
Addressing a joint press statement, Modi said the India-Cyprus relationship had consistently “stood the test of time” and was now entering a new phase of strategic cooperation.
“Today, with the formation of the India-Cyprus Strategic Partnership, we are set to infuse our relations with new ambition and new momentum,” Modi said.
Highlighting growing economic engagement, the Prime Minister said investments from Cyprus into India had nearly doubled over the past decade, reflecting increasing trust between the two countries.
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“Investment from Cyprus to India has nearly doubled over the past decade, reflecting the growing trust between our two countries,” he said.
Modi also linked the partnership to the proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, saying it would create new opportunities for trade and investment. He added that both countries aimed to double investment flows again over the next five years.
The two sides signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering digital infrastructure, fintech, education, migration and research cooperation.
India and Cyprus also agreed to work towards finalising a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Agreement and a Social Security Agreement to safeguard the interests of professionals working in each other’s countries.
A separate MoU was signed for the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
Modi said the two nations had agreed to expand defence cooperation in areas such as cyber security, maritime security and counter-terrorism coordination.
“Our defence collaboration with Cyprus has also increased. We have also decided to expand cooperation in areas of cyber security, maritime security and counter terrorism,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the partnership would continue to be guided by democratic values, rule of law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Christodoulides arrived in India with a high-level delegation that included Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades.
The visit comes less than a year after Modi’s landmark visit to Cyprus in June 2025, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Mediterranean nation in more than two decades.
President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to host a state banquet for the visiting Cypriot leader later in the day.
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