Cyprus offers India a Mediterranean foothold amid Islamic Nato axis

In a major diplomatic development, India and Cyprus have elevated their bilateral relations to a full Strategic Partnership, during Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides's state visit to New Delhi. This upgrade, backed by a five-year defence roadmap and multiple pacts, signals a growing convergence between the two nations on security, trade and connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean. It comes amid developing regional alliances in the Middle East, including the Sunni axis of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, dubbed the Islamic Nato.

While several key developments took place during the Cypriot President's visit to India from May 20 to 23, security and defence formed the cornerstone of the upgraded partnership, addressing shared threats in an unstable neighbourhood.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Christodoulides categorically and unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The two sides condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi in November 2025.

The two leaders welcomed the conclusion of the Roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation (2026–2031) between the Ministries of Defence of the two countries. This provides an institutional framework for promoting defence industrial cooperation and technology partnership, while facilitating exchanges, training and capacity building.

This builds on the momentum since 2022, with Cyprus expressing keen interest in Indian platforms such as BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and kamikaze drones like Nagastra-1 and Skystriker. These systems gained attention after their demonstrated performance in Operation Sindoor. While no specific contracts were signed during the visit, the roadmap paves the way for future procurement and co-development, aligning with India's ambition to expand defence exports into European markets.

Should this materialise into actual procurement, it would mark the first deployment of Indian-made weapons systems in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

A standout development was the signing of an MoU establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism. Both nations strongly condemned terrorism in all forms, rejecting any justification or double standards.

The partnership also includes the establishment of a new Cybersecurity Dialogue as well as expanded cooperation in the maritime domain to enhance maritime domain awareness and regional security, which is vital, given Cyprus's strategic location along critical sea lanes in the eastern Mediterranean region.

THE TURKEY ANGLE IN CYPRUS RELATIONS

These initiatives send a clear geopolitical signal.

Turkey has occupied northern Cyprus since 1974 and maintains ongoing disputes with Nicosia over maritime boundaries and energy resources. Ankara's close defence and political ties with Pakistan add another layer. The emerging Pak-Saudi-Turkey axis, solidified by the September 2025 Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), has heightened concerns in Jerusalem.

This pact, often dubbed the Islamic Nato, includes mutual defence clauses and has sparked speculation about a more cohesive Sunni bloc stretching across the Gulf and the Mediterranean.

Turkey also provided Pakistan with drones and personnel to operate them during its May 2025 war with India.

India and Cyprus's strategic relationship, therefore, serves as a counterweight to the developments in the Middle East. By strengthening ties with Cyprus, a democratic EU member in the Eastern Mediterranean, New Delhi has diversified its partnerships and reinforced a network of countries wary of radical extremism and the growing influence of the Sunni Pak-Saudi-Turkey axis.

Cyprus's alignment with Greece further integrates this new relationship into broader Mediterranean dynamics. Greece and Cyprus already coordinate closely on defence, maritime security and energy issues.

THE BROADER CONTEXT OF INDIA-CYPRUS RELATIONS AND THE HEXAGON VISION

The elevation of India-Cyprus ties dovetails seamlessly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's February 2026 articulation of a Hexagon of Alliances. In a Cabinet meeting in February, Netanyahu envisioned a flexible network encompassing India, Greece, Cyprus, select Arab and African nations, and "other Asian partners".

The framework aims to foster cooperation in security, intelligence-sharing, defence, and economics among countries confronting common challenges from both the "radical Shia axis" (led by Iran and its proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis) and the "emerging radical Sunni axis".

Netanyahu's vision is beyond earlier informal understandings, such as those involving India, Israel, the UAE, and Greece, toward a more structured architecture.

India's prominent role reflects its growing defence capabilities, technological prowess, and commitment to a rules-based order. For Cyprus and Greece, the hexagon offers Mediterranean anchoring that complements India's Indo-Pacific priorities and initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), where Cyprus can serve as a logistical bridge.

The Pak-Saudi SMDA, signed amid regional flux, formalised deep military ties with collective defence provisions. Under this defence pace, amid American and Israel's war on Iran, Pakistan has stationed thousands of its troops and its fighter jets in Saudi Arabia.

Reports of Turkey's interest in closer involvement, even if not fully realised, amplified perceptions of an evolving axis linking Islamabad, Riyadh, and Ankara.

So, India's deepening engagement in the Eastern Mediterranean holds particular significance. The region remains a hotspot for energy exploration, maritime competition, and for showcasing power.

Cyprus acts as New Delhi's gateway to Europe, especially following the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. It aids supply chain diversification, shipping security, and investment flows.

Conversely, Cyprus views India as a reliable partner for technology, defence modernisation, and economic growth.

THE ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL AND MULTILATERAL DIMENSIONS OF INDIA-CYPRUS RELATIONS

Beyond security and defence, the India-Cyprus strategic partnership extends across a wide range of economic, technological and people-to-people domains.

The leaders welcomed the signing of MoUs on innovation and technology, higher education and research, cultural cooperation, and diplomatic training. They also welcomed the Technical Arrangement for Official Coordination and Cooperation on Search and Rescue (SAR) matters.

Both sides emphasised the significant potential for expanding bilateral trade, investment and technology partnerships. They encouraged deeper cooperation in areas such as financial services, fintech, maritime and shipping, clean and green energy, logistics, science and technology, and research and innovation.

The two leaders welcomed Cyprus joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. They also noted ongoing efforts to enhance fintech connectivity between the two countries. Both sides committed to advancing negotiations on a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and a Social Security Agreement at the earliest.

With these developments, the India-Cyprus strategic partnership is poised to become a consequential node in Eurasian security and connectivity.