New Delhi, May 23 -- India and Cyprus on Friday elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership, announcing a five-year defence cooperation roadmap and a suite of agreements spanning trade, mobility, counter-terrorism, and investment - with Cyprus positioning itself as a key gateway for Indian businesses into the European Union.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, who is on a four-day visit to India, for wide-ranging talks that also covered the situations in Ukraine and West Asia.

Defence and Strategic Cooperation

A five-year roadmap for defence cooperation was unveiled, with an agreement signed between the Cyprus Defence and Space Industries Cluster (CyDSIC) and the Society of I...