Modi visits Cyprus to advance trade corridor plans

NICOSIA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Cyprus on Sunday in a visit focused on the potential role the island could play in linking India to Europe via a trade corridor, officials said.

Modi, who was on his way to a summit of the G7 group of nations in Canada, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides were scheduled to address business leaders on Sunday and hold formal talks on Monday. India is pursuing the so-called India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) trade link by sea and rail, but the visit is being held in the shadow of a rapidly escalating crisis in the Middle East.

“One of the objectives of our discussions is the connection of India with Europe through the region of the wider Middle East, (and) its entry into Europe through the Republic of Cyprus,” Christodoulides told journalists earlier on Sunday.

The two-day visit is part of a broader diplomatic outreach to European nations. Cyprus assumes the rotating EU presidency for six months in early 2026. The two countries have close relations through their shared membership of the Commonwealth.