Prelims: Current events of National Importance and International Importance | International Relations
Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Cyprus recently, first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over 20 years.
Cyprus- Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, located close to Turkey and Syria.
It is a member of the European Union (EU) despite being geographically in Asia.
Cyprus supports Indiaʼs candidature as a permanent member of the expanded UN Security Council.
It has also extended its full support for the
India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, within the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) and
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which helps India address its increasing energy needs and benefit its economic development.
Cyprus is a crucial part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an infrastructure project that India expects multiple benefits from.
IMEC is supposed to boost trade and connectivity between India and Europe via the Middle East, and Cyprus, in the Mediterranean, has an important role to play.
Cyprus is set to hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026, and as India looks to build stronger trade and security ties with Europe, Nicosia could be a crucial ally.
