Jaishankar, Cypriot counterpart hold talks; discuss bilateral ties amid COVID-19 pandemic

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, wherein the two nations discussed bilateral ties, reviewed major regional and global developments, and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy. ''A warm virtual meeting with FM @Christodulides of Cyprus. Reaffirmed our deep and historical friendship. Reviewed our bilateral cooperation and discussed major regional and global developments,'' Jaishankar tweeted. Furthermore, he added, that the two countries shared perspectives on the advancement of regional cooperation under the “historical and friendly relations” between the two nations. 

The two ministers held a dialogue, showcasing the commonality of views on major international issues, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said later in a statement. It added that India and Cyprus have witnessed an upward trajectory in their relations in recent years, and the two ministers agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, economic cooperation, and people-to-people ties, the MEA said. India’s Jaishankar and Cypriot minister Christodoulides held a dialogue on regional and multilateral issues, including India’s membership in the UN Security Council, the MEA statement said, according to PTI. Cyprus, meanwhile, also expressed willingness to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative of The International Solar Alliance to promote sustainable energy. 

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Cyprus leader visited India

In 2017, the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades came to India in his first-ever visit and held a dialogue and substantive meetings with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Cypriot leader was given a ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan followed by wreath laying by him at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi, Raj Ghat. India and Cyprus enjoy friendly relations and have a shared perspective on global issues. According to MEA, Cyprus is a major investor in India with Foreign Direct Investment of above US$ 9 billion, and both countries enjoy robust economic ties.

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