New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic outreach to Southern and Eastern Europe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Cyprus and Croatia, marking the first such bilateral visits by an Indian Prime Minister in over two decades and ever, respectively. He will be visiting Cyprus on his way to Canada to attend this year’s G7 Summit and Croatia on the way back.

While the visit to Nicosia signals a renewed strategic interest in the eastern Mediterranean, the historic trip to Zagreb underscores New Delhi’s intent to deepen its footprint in the European Union’s (EU) emerging eastern frontier. These engagements reflect a broader recalibration of India’s foreign policy in Europe at a time when global alignments are being reshaped by geopolitical flux, energy transitions, and technological disruptions.

“At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Cyprus on June 15-16, 2025,” the External Affairs Ministry stated in a press release Saturday. “This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades. While in Nicosia, the Prime Minister will hold talks with President Christodoulides and address business leaders in Limassol. The visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union.”

The Ministry further stated that Modi will undertake an official visit to Croatia on June 18 at the invitation of the Balkan nation’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

“This will be the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, marking an important milestone in the bilateral relationship,” the press release reads. “The Prime Minister will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Plenkovic and meet President of Croatia Zoran Milanovic. The visit to Croatia will also underscore India’s commitment to further strengthening its engagement with partners in the European Union.”

Diplomatic ties between India and Cyprus came into effect two years after Cyprus became independent from British colonial rule on February 10, 1962.

“Over the past 63 years, India has been one of the most trustworthy friends of Cyprus,” an External Affairs Ministry diplomatic bilateral brief reads. “Both countries adhered to diplomatic values, norms and principles governing the conduct of statesʼ’ international affairs. Both countries support similar positions on major regional and international issues and have collaborated constructively in the United Nations, Commonwealth and other international fora.”

Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Cyprus in October 2002. During the visit, Cyprus declared its support for India’s candidature as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Then President Pratibha Patil visited the country in October 2009. Then, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos visited India in April 2006.

There are more interesting India-Cyprus relationship factoids. Former First Lady of Cyprus, Lila Erulkar, the wife of President Glafcos Clerides, was born in Ahmedabad and was of Indian Jewish descent. Her father, Dr Abraham Erulkar, was Mahatma Gandhi’s personal physician in London in September 1946. The street in Nicosia on which the High Commission of India is located is named after Indira Gandhi. In India, an avenue in New Delhi is named after Archbishop Makarios III.

India has consistently endorsed the solution of the Cyprus issue based on the UNSC resolutions, international law and the EU acquis.

The Cyprus issue is a long-standing dispute primarily between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island of Cyprus, involving ongoing tensions and unresolved disagreements over sovereignty, governance, and the future of the island. The conflict has roots in the 1960s and has led to a de facto division of the island, with the Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north.

India supports a bi-zonal bicommunal federation based on UN Resolutions as a solution to the Cyprus problem, according to the External Affairs Ministry brief.

Cyprus has supported India in numerous international bodies and remains one of Indiaʼs dependable friends. It 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 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which helps India address its increasing energy needs and benefit its economic development. Nicosia also supports New Delhi on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Bilateral trade between India and Cyprus has remained steady amidst fluctuations over the recent years. Bilateral trade between the two countries was $136.96 million between April 2023 and March 2024.

Cyprus is among the top 10 investors in India with cumulative investments of $14.65 billion from April 2000 to March 2025, according to Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) estimates. These investments, as FDI equity inflows, were in sectors including services, computer and software, auto manufacturing, manufacturing industries, real estate, cargo handling, construction, shipping and pharmaceuticals.

As a member of the EU since 2004, Cyprus holds equal voting rights in EU institutions. Securing Cyprus’s consistent diplomatic support strengthens India’s positioning on critical issues like UNSC reform, India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, and global governance reforms. Located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Cyprus holds strategic relevance in the Mediterranean security matrix. Its ties with Greece, Israel, and the European energy corridor make it a potential partner for India in energy transit, maritime security, and counterterrorism coordination.

When he addresses business leaders in Limassol, Cyprus’s financial and shipping hub, Modi will be expected to tap into opportunities for shipping partnerships, financial services, start-up collaboration, and digital innovation.

According to Abhinav Pandya, founder, director, and CEO of the Udaipur-based Usanas Foundation think tank, Modi’s Cyprus visit is very crucial because lately India has been working on creating an alliance with Cyprus, Greece, France and Armenia against Turkey and its aggressive policy.

“We know that Turkey has a longstanding rivalry with Cypriots and the Greeks, as also Armenia,” Pandya told ETV Bharat over the phone from Yerevan, Armenia, where he is currently on a visit. “So, this global coalition against Turkey is very crucial to India. Turkey had actively supported Pakistan during the recent Operation Sindoor. So, now, it has become a more critical necessity to create an alliance against Turkey. In that equation, Cyprus is very important.”

On his way back to India from Canada, Modi will make the first-ever prime ministerial visit from India to Croatia. India formally recognised Croatia in May 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on July 9, 1992. Croatia opened its resident mission in New Delhi in February 1995. The Indian mission in Zagreb was opened on April 28, 1996, and upgraded to ambassadorial level in January 1998.

During the days of former Yugoslavia, Croatia played an important role in the close links between India and Yugoslavia. Croatia accounted for more than two-thirds of trade between the two nations, including large-scale purchases of Croatian ships by India in the 1970s and 1980s. Marshal Tito, who ruled Yugoslavia for more than three decades, was a Croat and maintained close relations with the Indian leadership. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Marshal Tito were also pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Then, President Ram Nath Kovind paid a state visit to Croatia in March 2019. Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari also visited Croatia in June 2010.

Bilateral trade between India and Croatia stood at $225.12 million during the period April-November 2024. According to the latest available figures published by the Croatian National Bank, India’s total direct investment into Croatia, during the period 2001 to the third quarter of 2022, amounted to €40.05 million, while Croatia had €5.55 million of direct investment into India in the same period.

Pandya said that ties with Croatia are crucial with respect to India’s interest in the EU.

“After the rift between the US and the EU, India has become a very important region of interest in Europe,” he said. “India is also focusing on trying to find alternate land routes to Europe. Europe is also a good potential market for Indian weapons.”

While Cyprus and Croatia may not traditionally feature in the frontlines of India’s diplomacy with Europe, the timing and symbolism of these visits highlight a deliberate shift in New Delhi’s strategic calculus – towards broadening partnerships across the EU spectrum, counterbalancing regional power dynamics, and deepening India’s presence in the Mediterranean and Balkans.

To sum up, Modi’s upcoming visits to Cyprus and Croatia are not routine diplomatic stops – they reflect a strategic recalibration of India’s Europe policy. By engaging with smaller yet strategically placed EU member states, India is laying the groundwork for a more inclusive, resilient, and distributed diplomatic framework in Europe. These visits serve both bilateral and continental goals, aligning with New Delhi’s pursuit of multipolarity, economic expansion, and technological partnerships within a fragmented but interconnected world.

Read More: PM Modi Will Participate In G7 Summit In Canada; Also To Visit Cyprus, Croatia Starting June 15