Cyprus eyes Indian weapons citing battle tested capabilities in Operation Sindoor

Cyprus has expressed strong interest in purchasing Indian defence equipment, citing New Delhi’s military performance in last year’s conflict with Pakistan as a key factor in its decision. Cypriot officials said that Nicosia was impressed by India’s demonstrated capabilities during Operation Sindoor, the May 2025 military campaign against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan that escalated into a brief but intense four-day conflict. "We know very well India's capabilities. India tested them in a real situation...," a Cypriot official said.

Development comes as Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides held discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday. The two sides signed a Roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation (2026-2031), an MoU between Cyprus Defence & Space Industries Cluster (CyDSIC) and India’s Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), and a Technical Arrangement on Search and Rescue cooperation.

Aim is to "work more in two important sectors. The first one is defence. We are interested in buying from the Indian defence industry. The second one is to have India, Cyprus defence industries work together," the Cypriot official added.

Cyprus is eligible for €1.2 billion under the European Union’s defence funding instruments and is looking to enhance its military capabilities through partnerships with India. Officials said a Cypriot defence minister would soon visit India for detailed discussions on specific weapons and other processes.

The partnership builds on the India-EU Defence and Security Partnership signed in January 2026 and the India-Cyprus Bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme agreed in February. Both sides are focusing on cybersecurity, emerging technologies, maritime security, and joint industrial collaboration.

Indian companies have been encouraged to use Cyprus as a "gateway to Europe", with existing investments already giving them access to the wider European market in defence, technology, and manufacturing. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides is on a four-day state visit to India. He arrived in Mumbai before travelling to New Delhi, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two countries agreed to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership, with new cooperation in trade, defence, technology, maritime security and counter-terrorism.

Asked if Turkey was raised, a Cypriot official confirmed: "of course we discussed Turkey within the context of regional developments, and within the context of Cyprus....There is a concern from our side".

When asked about view on Pakistan, the official was blunt: "We don’t have the best of relations... very difficult relations". Cyprus has been disappointed by Pakistan’s positions in the UN Security Council on the Cyprus issue, including abstentions on resolutions supporting Cyprus’s sovereignty.

Pakistan has long aligned with Turkey on the Cyprus issue, voting against key UNSC resolutions such as 541 (1983), which declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) invalid, and 550 (1984). In January 2026, Pakistan abstained from the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) mandate renewal resolution.