PM Modi Receives Cyprus Highest Honour: Grand Cross of Makarios III

Cyprus has become the latest country to honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its highest civilian award, the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-nation official tour of Cyprus, Canada, and Croatia from June 15 to 19, 2025.

In the first leg of his visit, he visited Cyprus on 15 &16th June 2025. 

This is the first foreign visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after India launched Operation Sindoor to hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on the night of 6/7 May 2025. 

Operation Sindoor was launched to avenge the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam by terrorists on 22 April 2025.

About the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III Award 

• Instituted by the Cypriot government in 1991 in memory of its first President, Archbishop Makarios III. 
• The award is given to the Head of State /Head of Government and global leaders for exceptional service, leadership, or contributions that have positively impacted the country or the world.
• It is Cyprus's highest civilian award.
• President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus conferred the award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.

Highlights of Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to Cyprus

• After 23 years, an Indian Prime Minister visited Cyprus.
• Before Modi, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Cyprus in 2002.
• The President of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides, received Prime Minister Modi at the Larnaca International Airport.
• Both the leaders attended a Roundtable interaction with business leaders from Cyprus and India in Limassol. 
• PM Modi welcomed the launch of the India–Greece–Cyprus Business and Investment Council.

Agreements and MoUs

Two agreements/  Memorandum of Understanding(MoUs) were signed between the two sides. 

• MoU between NSE International Exchange and Cyprus Stock Exchange 
• Introduction of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in Cyprus for cross-border payment through Eurobank Cyprus.

Importance of Cyprus Visit 

• Cyprus will assume the rotating Presidency of the European Union Council next year. The visit will strengthen India-Europe relations.
•  Its geographic location in the Mediterranean makes it a crucial part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
• The IMEC is a proposed trade and connectivity route connecting India with the Middle East (West Asia for India) and Europe.
• The area around Cyrus is rich in gas.
• It is also a signal to Turkiye, which has a dispute with Cyprus and has close military ties with Pakistan. Turkiye supplied military equipment during Operation Sindoor.

About Cyprus 

Location - an Island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

It was a British colony and gained its independence in 1960.

Partition of Cyprus 

Cyprus has two main ethnic groups: Greek and Turkish. The Greek Cypriots constitute about four-fifths of the country's population, while the Turkish Cypriots comprise around one-fifth.

Fighting erupted between the two communities after independence, and in 1964, the United Nations established a Peacekeeping force in Cyprus.

The UN Peacekeeping force maintains a buffer zone between the two communities known as the Green Line.

In 1974, Turkiye invaded Cyprus and captured the Turkish majority area and established a Turkish Cypriot state.

In 1983, the Turkish area declared its independence. No country in the world recognises it except Turkiye.

Capital - Nicosia 

Currency -Euro 

President -  Nicos Christodoulides