Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides. ANI
Cyprus’ foreign minister cited the partition of India as he rejected the “two-state” solution for the Cyprus dispute. The remarks came as he held a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar who is currently in Cyprus.
“As we have seen with the case of India the country’s partition was just the beginning of a perilous journey and certainly not the end. Therefore a two-state solution for Cyprus and its people can not be accepted,” Ioannis Kasoulides said.
Ahead of Jaishankar’s visit, Cyprus said that it would be discussing “Turkish provocations” with the Indian foreign minister.
Meanwhile, in the joint press conference, Jaishankar said India and Cyprus were collectively working on pressing issues such as food and energy security, maritime security, as well as on the sustainable environment.
What is the Cyprus dispute & two-state solution
The two-state solution refers to the proposed division of Cyrpus into two separate states. The solution calls for the international recognition of Northern Cyprus or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The de facto state came into existence after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The state is only recognised by Ankara.
India & Cyprus sign MoU on defence, military cooperation
S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Cypriot counterpart Kasoulides in Nicosia and discussed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and issues of mutual and global interests like the Ukraine conflict, as the two sides signed three agreements, including an MOU on defence and military cooperation.
Jaishankar’s first official visit to Cyprus came as the two countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The two leaders also shared their vision for world peace, freedom, and democracy.
Kasoulides said India and Cyprus were driven by their partnership to diversify and deepen the people-to-people contact.
The duo also signed an agreement initiating formal discussions on facilitating the swift repatriation of Indians who have had their asylum applications rejected and allowing business professionals and academics to more easily travel and work in both countries.
With inputs from agencies
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