PM to Visit Cyprus and Croatia During Canada Trip, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Context: PM Narendra Modi will visit Cyprus and Croatia during his trip to Canada for the G-7 summit (June 15–17).
• First Indian PM visit to Croatia since its formation in 1991.
• The Cyprus visit is viewed as a strategic signal to Turkiye, which supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May.
• Cyprus has been supportive of India on Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, and UNSC permanent seat aspirations.

Significance of Cyprus Visit:

• Cyprus to assume EU Council presidency in early 2026 – critical for India's EU-level diplomacy.
• Cyprus condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and vowed to raise it in EU discussions.
• India supports Cyprus’s territorial integrity, opposing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, aligning with UNSC resolutions and EU acquis.
• Strategic message to Turkiye, amid Ankara’s growing alignment with Pakistan.

Significance of Croatia Visit:

• Emphasizes India’s cultural and academic ties – Indology and ISKCON presence.
• Deepening defence and tech ties – MoU signed at Raisina Dialogue 2023.
• Croatia’s identity as Tito’s homeland reinforces India’s NAM legacy and renewed alignment with non-aligned partners.
• Link to India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):
• Both Cyprus and Croatia seen as potential IMEC participants and investors.
• Croatia’s maritime infrastructure (Adriatic Sea) is attractive for IMEC logistics and trade routes.
• Indicates India’s West Asia-Europe outreach strategy post G20 2023.

Strategic Takeaways:

• Multi-vector diplomacy: PM Modi balancing India’s ties with EU, NAM, and Canada while addressing regional concerns (Turkiye-Pakistan nexus).
• Economic corridors as foreign policy tools: IMEC is not just commercial but geopolitical in vision.
• Cyprus as a strategic lever: Using consistent partners in Europe to balance hostile postures from other regional players.
• Soft power diplomacy: Indology, cultural contacts, and educational exchanges continue to complement India’s hard power diplomacy.

Key Concepts Involved:

• EU Acquis : The accumulated legislation, legal acts, and court decisions that constitute the body of European Union law.
• Raisina Dialogue : India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organized by ORF and the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) : A Cold War-era grouping of countries that did not formally align with either the US or the Soviet bloc.
• Indology : The academic study of Indian culture, history, literature, and languages.

Mains Mock Question:

Discuss the strategic significance of India’s engagement with smaller European nations like Cyprus and Croatia in the context of emerging economic corridors and geopolitical shifts.