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Cyprus attaches “great significance” to the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, said the country’s visiting Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.
In a written interrogation to The Hindu, Mr. Kombos said Cyprus wishes to enactment successful the IMEC task and argued that the Cyprus-India narration is not aimed astatine immoderate 3rd state and that it stands connected its ain “merit”.
“Cyprus attaches large value and expresses its readiness towards information successful IMEC projects, considering its strategical location, combined with its EU rank and business-friendly environment, modern infrastructure,” said Mr. Kombos, describing the “robust shipping sector” of Cyprus arsenic 1 of the large factors that volition alteration Cyprus to play a relation successful IMEC-related projects.
The sojourn by Mr. Kombos, the archetypal by a Cypriot Foreign Minister successful 14 years, is being held successful the backdrop of the unease successful India’s narration with Turkey which is progressive successful the territorial quality successful Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). Since India’s little struggle with Pakistan betwixt May 7 and 10, India’s ties with Turkey person been nether a unreality arsenic the second extended enactment to Pakistan during the conflict. The tense narration was connected show successful the Turkish Republic Day (October 29, 2025) solemnisation astatine the Turkish embassy present wherever nary Indian authorities typical was present.
Mr. Kombos acknowledged that the ‘Cyprus issue’ would beryllium among the topics that would beryllium discussed with the Indian broadside during his three-day enactment but maintained that the Cyprus-India narration is not aimed astatine “counterbalancing” immoderate determination powerfulness saying, “Cyprus-India ties are not straight aimed to counterbalancing but to strategically support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of our respective countries.”
Mr. Kombos touched upon the contented during his code astatine the Indian Council of World Affairs connected Thursday day wherever helium did not sanction Turkey but said that Cyprus faced “an aggressor”, “an invader” and “an occupier” connected its ain territory.
Mr. Kombos reiterated beardown absorption of Cyprus to “international and transverse borderline terrorism” and said, “Cyprus has a zero-tolerance attack and it has nary favoritism betwixt coercion and its financiers”. Officials present had earlier noted that Cyprus had been 1 of the “most consistent” supporters of India successful the Kashmir contented arsenic good arsenic successful its absorption to cross-border coercion from Pakistan.
Earlier successful the day, Mr. Combos met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar astatine Hyderabad House. The 2 sides reviewed the India-Cyprus Joint Action Plan 2025-2029 that was agreed to during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sojourn to Cyprus successful June this year.
In a societal media message, Mr. Jaishankar said that the treatment covered the geopolitical situation, “developments successful our respective regions” and practice successful multilateral platforms.
Cooperation with Cyprus successful multilateral platforms is acquiring greater value arsenic Cyprus volition instrumentality implicit the Presidency of European Union Council connected January 1, 2026. In a connection aft the talks, Mr. Kombos appreciated “India’s long-standing principled enactment connected the Cyprus contented and its upholding of planetary law”. He powerfully supported the under-negotiation Free Trade Agreement betwixt EU and India and said, the FTA volition “unlock immense economical opportunities for India and for each the European countries.”
