India and Cyprus on Friday elevated their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi, resulting in several agreements and new initiatives spanning defence, cybersecurity, education, culture and maritime cooperation.
Following the talks, the two countries signed six agreements/Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and announced a series of strategic initiatives aimed at deepening cooperation across multiple sectors.
Among the key agreements signed was an MoU on establishing a Joint Working Group on counter-terrorism, reflecting the growing focus on security cooperation between the two nations. Another agreement was signed between India’s Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Diplomatic Academy of Cyprus for diplomatic training cooperation.
India and Cyprus also signed an MoU on innovation and technology between Cyprus’s Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. A technical arrangement was also concluded for cooperation on search and rescue operations between the Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Center of Cyprus and India’s Ministry of Defence.
In the education sector, both sides signed an MoU on cooperation in higher education and research, while another agreement was inked to strengthen cultural cooperation for the period 2026–2030.
Apart from the agreements, the two countries announced several major initiatives, including a roadmap for defence cooperation between 2026 and 2031 and the establishment of dedicated Cyber Security and Consular Dialogues.
Cyprus also announced its decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative under the pillar focused on trade, connectivity and maritime transport, signalling closer alignment with India’s Indo-Pacific vision.
As part of the bilateral initiatives, India will gift a Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISM) Cube to Cyprus. The two countries also announced the celebration of the first-ever India-Cyprus Space Day on May 18, 2026.
Further strengthening economic ties, the Cypriot side announced its intention to open a Cyprus Trade Center in Mumbai to boost trade and investment cooperation.
