Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Cyprus on Sunday on his way to the G-7 summit in Canada (June 15-17).

“The visit to Cyprus is seen as a message to Turkey, who assisted Pakistan during Operation Sindoor,” the Indian newspaper The Hindu reported, referring to the attack on the Indian village Pahalgam on April 22.

The Republic was one of the first countries to condemn the attack and indicated that it would raise the issue of what the paper said was cross-border terrorism from Pakistan at EU-level discussions.

Indian officials said that Modi is expected to meet with President Nikos Christodoulides.

“Reiterating India’s traditional foreign policy goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Cyprus and Croatia,” The Hindu added.  

Both visits are viewed as politically and economically significant.

According to The Hindu, sources in New Delhi hinted that the visit to Cyprus may serve as a message to Turkey, who assisted Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The visit could also strengthen EU-India relations as Cyprus is set to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026.

A number of Indian officials have previously visited the island nation: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Cyprus in 1982, while Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited in 2002. President Ram Nath Kovind visited in 2018, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited in 2022.

The Republic of Cyprus has been consistent in its support of India on the territorial dispute over the Kashmir region with Pakistan, The Hindu reported.

It has also supported India in its campaign for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and India has supported the resolution of the Cyprus issue as per UN Security Council resolutions, international law, and the EU acquis.

Officials in New Delhi indicated that both Cyprus and Croatia have grown in significance in recent years following the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) during the G-20 summit in New Delhi in 2023.

According to The Hindu, Croatia and Cyprus are viewed as “potential participants” and investors in IMEC-related projects.