New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday conferred with Cyprus’ highest civilian honour — The Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III.
Modi’s two-day visit to the Mediterranean nation, at the invitation of Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, holds huge significance.
Not only is this the Indian PM’s maiden foreign trip post the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Modi chose Cypriot as his first stop on his three-nation tour.
Cyprus being a neighbour and rival of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, Modi’s visit possibly sends a message to the latter.
Turkey consistently supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor on May 7, which India carried out to destroy selected terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK following the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack.
India has strongly opposed Turkey’s stand and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s repeated remarks on Kashmir.
Cyprus, Turkey tensions
Cyprus has had a fractured relation with neighbour Turkey since being invaded in 1974. The northern part of Cyprus is under Turkish control, with Ankara calling it as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. However, India, and the rest of the international community, recognises and supports Cyprus’ sovereignty over the entire island.
In a significant gesture, PM Modi was taken around by President Christodoulides on a tour of capital city Nicosia, which also remains divided. Modi was photographed against the backdrop of the flag of the Turkish-controlled north.
The visit comes at the invitation of Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, with PM Modi accompanied by a delegation of around 100 officials.
Symbolic stop at Green Line
Modi also made a symbolic stop at the Green Line, a United Nations-controlled buffer zone that separates the two parts of Cyprus.
While India strongly backed Cyprus’ “independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”, the Mediterranean nation backed New Delhi’s action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
India and Cyprus released a joint statement expressing their “strong commitment to the resumption of UN-facilitated efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus Question on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the agreed UN framework and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.”
Honour dedicated to India-Cyprus friendship
Modi expressed gratitude for being conferred with Cyprus’ highest civilian honour, and dedicated the award to the deep-rooted friendship between India and Cyprus.
“This honour is not just a recognition of me, Narendra Modi — it is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians. It is a tribute to their strength and aspirations,” Modi said, adding that it also represents a recognition of India’s culture, values, and the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family.
“I dedicate this award to the friendship between India and Cyprus, to our shared values, and to Cyprus’s understanding of India,” he added.
Modi, the first Indian PM to visit Cyprus after Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s trip in 2002, will next travel to Canada for the G7 Summit, and then Croatia.
