The Hindu : National : Cyprus President coming on April 11

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

National

National

Cyprus President coming on April 11

Amit Baruah

NICOSIA (Cyprus): When Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos arrives in New Delhi on April 11 on a state visit, he will be upholding a tradition that has few bilateral parallels. Mr. Papadopoulos will be the fifth President of Cyprus to travel to India — all his predecessors have visited India.

Archbishop Makarios came in November 1962, Spyros Kyprianou in 1982, 1983 and 1984, George Vassilou in April 1989 and Glafcos Clerides (whose wife is Indian) in February 1997.

It is a rare record, India's High Commissioner to Cyprus Neelam Sabharwal pointed out. Apart from his formal meetings in New Delhi on April 12, Mr. Papadapoulos will travel to Agra, Bangalore and Mumbai.

With a population of a little over 8,00,000, Cyprus has seen many high-level visits from India aswell: Presidents V.V. Giri (July 1972) and R. Venkataraman (September 1988), and Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi (September 1983) and A.B. Vajpayee (October 2002).

Bilateral trade

Bilateral trade stands at just $42 million. Briefing Cypriot journalists and this correspondent here, Ms. Sabharwal said the future for both countries lay in knowledge-based cooperation.

India wants to present its new and modern face to Cyprus, with the President slated to visit Infosys in Bangalore. With Cyprus focussed on Europe following its entry into the European Union in 2004, India hopes that the visit would revitalise bilateral relationship.

Steadfast supporter

In the past, India has been a steadfast supporter of the Cypriot cause. "India supports the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus. India has consistently supported a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus problem," a High Commission note said.

"India respects the democratic choice exercised by the people of Cyprus in the April 2004 referendum,", the note said.

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