Nicosia [Cyprus], June 16 (ANI): Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday viewed the mountains near Nicosia, which are under Turkish occupation, and engraved on the mountains are words which remind the Cypriots that a large part of their country has been under occupation since 1974.

PM Modi, who visited Cyprus in the first leg of his three-nation visit, reiterated India's support for Cyprus's unity and for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus Question based on UN Security Council resolutions, international law, and the EU Acquis.

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India has reiterated its unwavering and consistent support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the Republic of Cyprus.

A joint declaration released after meeting between the Cyprus President and PM Modi said that both sides emphasized the need to avoid unilateral actions as essential for creating a conducive environment for the resumption of meaningful negotiations.

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The two countries expressed their strong commitment to the resumption of UN-facilitated efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus Question on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the agreed UN framework and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions," the statement said.

According to Cyprus High Commission in New Delhi, Turkish armed forces staged a full-scale invasion against Cyprus in 1974 and Turkey proceeded to occupy the northern part of the island and empty it from its Greek inhabitants.

It said that the United Nations has in several resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council demanded respect for the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus, the return of refugees to their homes and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island. All of these resolutions have been consistently ignored by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Cyprus, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 23 years, is being viewed as a diplomatic signal to Turkey, which has occupied one-third of the island since 1974 and had backed Pakistan during Operation Sindoor last month.

Cyprus has backed India on the issue of terrorism.

Cyprus forms part of the energy corridor that will connect India with Europe and strengthen East-West connectivity through the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC).

In the joint declaration released on Monday, Cyprus and India unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including international and cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to countering hybrid threats that undermine peace and stability.

Cyprus expressed solidarity and unwavering support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. The two leaders strongly condemned the gruesome killing of civilians in the recent heinous terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. They reiterated their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, rejecting any justification for such acts, under any circumstances. They emphasized that those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable.

PM Modi and Cyprus President urged all states to respect the sovereignty of other nations and condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. They called for the disruption of terrorism financing networks, elimination of safe havens, dismantling of terrorist infrastructure, and bringing perpetrators of terrorism to justice swiftly. Emphasizing the need for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained approach to combatting terrorism across borders, they underscored the importance of working collaboratively, bilaterally and with the multilateral system.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multilateral efforts to combat terrorism and called for the expeditious finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework.

They urged for concerted actions against all UN- and EU-designated terrorists and terrorist entities, associated proxy groups, facilitators, and sponsors, including terrorists under 1267 UNSC Sanctions Committee. They reiterated their strong commitment to continue taking active measures to disrupt terrorist financing channels including through the UN and Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Acknowledging emerging challenges within the international security environment, the leaders stressed the importance of enhancing strategic autonomy, defence readiness, and defence capabilities. (ANI)

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