PM Modi conferred with Cyprus’ highest civilian honour

At the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Cyprus on 15–16 June 2025—the first by an Indian Prime Minister in over two decades.

During the visit:

• PM Modi was conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, Cyprus’s highest civilian honour, named after its first President, Archbishop Makarios III.
• He held bilateral talks with President Christodoulides in Nicosia.
• He also addressed business leaders in Limassol, aiming to bolster economic engagement.

The visit reaffirmed:

• The shared commitment to strengthen bilateral relations,
• India’s growing engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union.

About Cyprus:

• Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
• It gained independence from Britain in 1960, having been a crown colony since 1925.
• Joined the European Union in 2004; despite being a divided country, the entire island is considered EU territory.
• Turkish Cypriots are eligible for EU citizenship.
• Geographically, it lies 40 miles south of Turkey, 60 miles west of Syria, and 480 miles southeast of mainland Greece.