"India always believed in peaceful coexistence, dialogue": High Commissioner to Cyprus

Speaking on PM Modi's recent statement, Manish highlighted India's consistent stance on promoting peaceful coexistence and dialogue. "We believe this is not an era of war," he said.

"The PM has a great vision about world peace and world development, and this stems from his belief in our ancient philosophy, and this is not the first time the PM has articulated his position; but speaking from here becomes relevant because there is a lot of geopolitical conflict going on around the region," Manish told ANI.

"So, India has always believed in peaceful coexistence and dialogue. So, I think in that sense, PM's statement will reinforce India's position on peaceful settlement of any dispute through dialogue," he added.

Further, Manish highlighted Cyprus's strong support for India's fight against international and cross-border terrorism.

This comes after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which Cyprus condemned strongly, with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides sending a personal message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing solidarity.

"After the attack in Pahalgam on 22nd April, when I saw various leaders condemning it, Cyprus was one of the first countries which condemned the incident and there was a personal message from President to our PM in a letter, where he expressed and the two Foreign Ministers also spoke on this issue," he said.

"Cyprus has always condemned cross-border and international terrorism, but this time they have come out very strongly, condemning all forms of terrorism. They also unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam attack. They are very supportive that the perpetrators of any form of terrorism should be called out and brought to justice," he added.

Cyprus has "strongly supported India's fight" against international terrorism and cross-border terrorism, the High Commissioner affirmed.

"I must say that this will lead to further engagement in defence and security aspect and if you see the statement of two leaders - cybersecurity, maritime cooperation, maritime awareness domain, defence production related aspects will be high on agenda in the coming days and overall I must say that this is a new beginning in the defence and security cooperation and both sides will take it forward in days to come," he added.

Notably, PM Modi's official visit to Cyprus concluded on June 16 with the adoption of a Joint Declaration outlining a roadmap for deepened strategic cooperation between the two nations, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

The Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of Cyprus also released coordinated statements underscoring the breadth of this renewed partnership.

The press release also highlighted the shared commitment of both sides to strengthening EU-India relations.

With Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2026, both sides pledged to work towards the timely conclusion of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2025, calling it a move of "significant economic and strategic potential."

According to the release, Prime Minister Modi's visit--the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades--was described as a "historic milestone" that "reaffirms the deep and enduring friendship between the two nations."

The visit was a celebration of a shared past and a "forward-looking partnership" rooted in strategic vision and mutual trust.

The declaration noted that both leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues, acknowledging growing cooperation in economic, technological, and people-to-people domains. (ANI)