Cyprus President concludes 'productive' India visit 

NEW DELHI: The State Visit of Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides to India concluded on Saturday with both nations announcing a major upgrade in bilateral relations by elevating ties to a Strategic Partnership.

The visit is being seen as a significant step towards strengthening cooperation between New Delhi and Nicosia across diplomacy, trade, education and security sectors.

Sharing details of the conclusion of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, “A productive visit concludes. President Christodulides departed from New Delhi after a successful State Visit. He was seen off by Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Ajay Tamta. The visit gave a significant boost to India–Cyprus ties and marked a new chapter with the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership.”

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described India’s partnership with Cyprus as “strong and futuristic” which remains rooted in shared democratic values.

After holding delegation-level talks with President Christodoulides at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, PM Modi stated that both countries had decided to elevate their relationship into a Strategic Partnership considering the growing closeness between the two nations.

“Ours is indeed a strong and futuristic partnership rooted in shared values. The growing investment linkages between our nations are a matter of immense joy, and we hope to increase trade and economic ties in the times to come,” PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.