Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday, 22 May called for a deeper and more comprehensive partnership between the European Union (EU) and India, saying the relationship has moved well beyond trade into a broader strategic alignment. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi following bilateral talks, Christodoulides framed the moment as one of urgency given rising geopolitical fractures worldwide.

What Christodoulides Said

Addressing reporters alongside Modi, the Cypriot President made a pointed case for elevating the EU-India relationship. “In these times of growing geopolitical uncertainty, I firmly believe that the partnership between the European Union and India must become even stronger because this relationship is no longer driven only by economics. It is evolving at a fast pace into a broader comprehensive strategic partnership grounded in shared interests, shared responsibilities, and a common commitment to stability, resilience, and prosperity,” he said.

He added that “Europe and India have every reason to deepen their cooperation further on security, trade, technology, innovation and connectivity.”

Cyprus as a Bridge Between Continents

Christodoulides positioned Cyprus — geographically situated at the crossroads of Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East — as a natural and reliable conduit between New Delhi and Brussels. He noted that strengthening the EU-India partnership is a core priority of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU, describing it as central to his country’s vision of “a union that is more open to the world.”

The bilateral relationship between Cyprus and India, he said, is rooted in shared historical experiences and common struggles for freedom and self-determination, with people-to-people ties stretching back centuries. “Those relations are consistently strengthened through our shared commitment to peace, democracy, and respect for international law,” he stated.

IMEC and Regional Connectivity

A significant portion of Christodoulides’s remarks focused on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which he described as a “visionary initiative.” He said the project “reflects the growing importance of trusted interconnection between the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe,” and confirmed that he had ongoing discussions with Prime Minister Modi on the corridor and related regional connectivity projects.

“Cyprus, located at the crossroads of three continents and the gateway to Europe, stands ready to contribute actively to this shared vision,” he said. The IMEC, first announced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, has gained renewed attention as Western nations seek supply-chain alternatives amid Red Sea disruptions and broader Middle East instability.

Why This Visit Matters

The Christodoulides visit comes at a moment when the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations have resumed after a decade-long stall, and as both blocs seek to diversify strategic partnerships in response to an increasingly multipolar world. Cyprus’s EU Presidency gives Nicosia an outsized platform to shape bloc-level priorities, making its alignment with India’s connectivity and strategic agenda diplomatically significant. Notably, Cyprus’s historical non-aligned posture and its ties to the Eastern Mediterranean make it a credible interlocutor between the two sides.

As global trade routes face mounting pressure and geopolitical alignments shift, the New Delhi meeting signals that the EU-India strategic conversation is accelerating — with Cyprus positioning itself at the centre of that bridge-building effort.