Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation level talks with Cyprus President Nicos Christodolidase in Nicosia, reviewing bilateral relations. The meeting particularly found new avenues of cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and innovation. Regional and global issues including India-European Union relations and Indo-Central East Economic Corridor were also prominently considered in the discussion. External Affairs Minister S.K. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present.
At the meeting, Cyprus President Nicos Christodolidase expressed grief over the Ahmedabad aircraft accident in India. He said, “Cyprus is with India in this hour of grief. We express condolences to the deceased people in the Ahmedabad plane crash. Our country stands with India in every way.” N. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded Cyprus’s highest honor ‘Grand Cross of the Order of Macaros III’. The honor was awarded by President Nicos Christodolidase during a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Nicosia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said about this honor, “For the Grand Cross of the Order of Makios III, I greet you (President of Cyprus), Cyprus Sarkar and Cyprus people. Honor. I dedicate this honor to our shared values and mutual understanding. I accept this honor with great humility and gratitude. I understand its importance in the same way. I believe that our active partnership will touch new heights in the coming times.
After this meeting, the Prime Minister and President will visit Nicosia Town Hall. From there they will hold a symbolic joint tour of the United Nations (UN) ceasefire line, outlining India’s long -term contribution to global peace efforts. The Prime Minister’s visit will end with an official afternoon banquet held in his honor at Rashtrapati Bhavan, before leaving to Canada for the G7 Summit.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and President Nicos Christodolidase held a high -level trade round table conference with top Indian and Cyprus entrepreneurs in Lamsos. This conference led to many important commercial results, including Cyprus’s integration with India’s UPI payment platform. The NSE Gift City Exchange has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cyprus Stock Exchange and a Cyprus-based fund Bao Capital Partners have pledged over $ 100 million for India-centric investment.