India and Cyprus on Friday elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of a Strategic Partnership during the official visit of Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides to India, with both countries reaffirming cooperation across trade, investment, maritime affairs, education and connectivity.
Welcoming President Christodoulides and his delegation at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu said the visit marks a significant milestone in India-Cyprus relations and reflects the long-standing trust shared by both nations.
“Your interactions with India’s business and financial community, and the agreements concluded today, have further strengthened the foundation of our partnership. The elevation of India-Cyprus relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership is an important milestone of this visit,” President Murmu said during her address.
She added that the enhanced partnership opens new opportunities for cooperation in multiple sectors, including trade, finance, shipping, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
“It truly reflects the trust that has existed between the two countries for many decades and opens up new opportunities for enhanced cooperation. Cooperation between the two countries is very strong in areas such as trade, investment, finance, maritime affairs, education, culture, and people-to-people contacts,” Murmu said.
President Christodoulides is currently on an official visit to India aimed at strengthening economic and strategic engagement between the two countries. During the visit, the Cypriot delegation held meetings with Indian business leaders and government officials, focusing on investment opportunities, infrastructure cooperation, financial services and connectivity initiatives.
Officials said several agreements and understandings were discussed during the visit to enhance collaboration in sectors such as technology, shipping, innovation and education.
The elevation of ties to a Strategic Partnership comes amid India’s increasing outreach toward European partners and growing interest in expanding trade and maritime connectivity in the Mediterranean region. Cyprus is also viewed as an important gateway for Indian businesses seeking greater access to European markets.
The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Cyprus leadership in recent months, during which both sides expressed commitment to strengthening political dialogue and economic cooperation.
India and Cyprus have maintained diplomatic relations for over six decades and have regularly supported each other in multilateral forums. Bilateral cooperation has steadily expanded in areas including shipping, tourism, education and financial services.
Officials from both countries described the latest agreements and strategic upgrade as a step toward broadening long-term cooperation and strengthening regional and economic partnerships between India and Europe.