For an extremely important visit, the first Indu Prime Minister for 23 years, arrives on Sunday at Cyprus the Narendra Montias not only will the high level and partnership between the two countries be confirmed, but will also send important messages by the leader of the most populous country in the world and one of the most important global economies.
Visit is being carried out in the midst of Israel-Iran conflictwhich directly affects Indian interests, with the Indian prime minister seeking in recent years his country’s presence in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. It is indicative that Pakistan hastened to stand by Iran’s side wanting to keep up with Tayyip Erdogan But to “expose” the New Delhi that keeps a balanced stance due to the close relationship with Israel.
The messages that the Indian prime minister sends with his visit have wider geopolitical dimensions. THE Narendra Montiin his meetings with the President Nikos Christodoulides And with his very presence in the Republic of Cyprus, he will confirm India’s support for the implementation of IMEC with the participation of Cyprus. At the same time, he will find the opportunity to respond to the provocative support of Tayyip Erdogan in Pakistan, in a dispute with India over his issue Cashmere.
After the recent warm confrontation India -Pakistanthe Turk He not only publicly in favor of Pakistan, but he called on Ankara the Pakistani prime minister, offering his support against India in every way.
Abandoning a balance of balance that Ankara had previously adopted, which had not even hidden its ambition to play a “mediator” role in the Kashmir conflict, the Turkish president has now completely cut the bridges with New Delhi.
This option is not irrelevant to the pursuit of creating an axis Turkey -Azerbaijan -Pakistanwhich will control this geographical area and will be a powerful lever of pressure and to the so -called “Turkish” Republics of Central Asia. The latter are causing Ankara reflection due to their intention to wean up with the suffocating Turkish influence, as it was recently shown by the adoption of UN Security Council resolutions on the Cyprus issue at the EU-KK Summit in Astana.
But Tayyip Erdogan’s hostile attitude towards India is due to other reasons: India, leading with the US and Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the creation of the IMEC corridor, chooses to bypass Turkey.
The Turkish side considers this choice as a threat, as it excludes it from a critical geopolitical corridor and weakens its pursuit of turning into a hub of energy, commerce and data linking Europe with the East.
Indian Prime Minister Monty is expected in his meeting with Nikos Christodoulides to express his support for the accession of the Republic of Cyprus in his grand plan Imecwith Nicosia already working systematically in this direction.
Mr. Christodoulides, during his visit last month to Israelhe had discussed IMEC with Benjamin Netanyahu, securing Israel’s support for Cyprus’ participation. At the same time, the very good relations that Nikos Christodoulides has restored with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi offer another advantage to the Republic of Cyprus.
Having founded in recent years a strong strategic relationship with the US, France, Egypt, the Arab world and other countries in the region, while promoting an important Egyptian cooperation and as a member of the EU, Cyprus is politically and diplomatically shielded against it. Turkey And it is a crucial link to the architectural security in the wider area of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Although IMEC was agreed as a plan in 2023 under the presidency of Biden, President Trump continues to support personally the work that is the alternative of China’s major commercial corridors, but also as a means of cooperation with the Gulf countries.
The IMEC was inaugurated at the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the leaders of India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Germany. The implementation of the IMEC presupposes, of course, the peace in Gaza and the normalization of Israel’s relations with Saudi Arabia. However, this does not prevent the continuation of contacts and the commitments of the countries to participate.
The participation of Cyprus and Greece in IMEC will also create new data for parallel interconnections from Israel to Europe through Cyprus and Greece, at a time when Turkey threatens that it will not allow any projects in which it will have no reason.
Relations between India and Cyprus are long and traditional, with links dating back to the Makarios -Nechro period and the era of the lame movement, while the two countries are also linked because of the powerful Indian community in Cyprus and the role of the Cyprus semi -seafarers.
Modi’s visit is also of particular financial interest in Cyprus. The two leaders will participate in an Indo-Cypriot business conference, and according to the Cyprus Presidency, they will be examined during talks that will follow ways to further strengthen relations, especially in the fields of economy, trade, infrastructure and investment.
EU -India relations will also be discussed, issues related to the East -Europe -Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the situation in the Middle East and South Asia, as well as the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.
Cyprus and India have signed a military cooperation agreement in 2022 the visit of the Hindu Foreign Ministry Dr. Tzasakar in Nicosia, which provided for, among other things, to carry out joint exercises.
Nikos Meletis