New Delhi, May 22, 2026 — India and Cyprus have elevated bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership during the visit of Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, signing six memoranda of understanding and announcing a slate of cooperative initiatives across defence, trade, counter‑terrorism, technology and culture.
The two governments agreed a roadmap for Defence Cooperation for 2026–2031 and will establish a Cyber Security Dialogue. They also set up a Consular Dialogue, and Cyprus joined the Indo‑Pacific Oceans Initiative under the pillar of “Trade, Connectivity and Maritime Transport.” As a goodwill gesture, India gifted a Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISM) Cube to Nicosia. Cyprus indicated plans to open a Cyprus Trade Centre in Mumbai to strengthen trade links and boost exports and employment.
Signed instruments include:
– An MoU to establish a Joint Working Group on Counter‑Terrorism to deepen cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism.
– An MoU on Diplomatic Training between India’s Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Diplomatic Academy of Cyprus.
– 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 to coordinate Search and Rescue (SAR) operations between the Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and India’s Ministry of Defence.
– An MoU between the Ministry of Education of India and the Cypriot Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth on cooperation in higher education and research, aimed at expanding academic exchange and opportunities for students.
– An MoU on Cultural Cooperation covering 2026–2030 to promote arts and heritage collaboration, archaeological research, and coordinated efforts against illicit trafficking of cultural property.
The defence roadmap maps out enhanced joint training, exercises and other activities to strengthen national security cooperation. The BHISM Cube contains medicines and first‑response equipment designed to deliver rapid, life‑saving care in disaster zones and remote areas.
Officials noted the agreements will deepen bilateral engagement ahead of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027 and will also bolster cooperation within the wider India–European Union framework.
