PM Modi begins Cyprus, Canada, Croatia tour Sunday, 1st foreign visit after Op Sindoor

“At the invitation of the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, PM Modi will pay an official visit to Cyprus June 15-16. This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades,” the MEA said. In Nicosia, Modi will hold talks with Christodoulides and address business leaders in Limassol.

The visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union, as per the MEA. Cyprus had condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and indicated that it would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan at the EU-level discussions. The visit will be timely as Cyprus is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026.

In the second leg of his visit, PM Modi will travel to Kananaskis to participate in the G7 Summit, his sixth time in a row. On June 6, PM Modi received a call from Canadian PM Carney inviting him for the summit.

At the summit, PM Modi will exchange views with G7 heads of states, other invited outreach countries and heads of international organisations on global issues, “including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and Quantum-related issues”, the MEA said. The Modi-Carney meeting on the sidelines summit next week will be an opportunity to explore ways to reset ties, the MEA said on Thursday.

The development comes after more than a year-and-a-half of strained diplomatic ties between the two countries, triggered by former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s allegations about the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. India rejected the charges as “absurd” and “motivated”, and consequently, both nations expelled high commissioners and other senior diplomats.

PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines, officials say, even as modalities are being worked out. The G7 Leaders’ Summit will be held from June 15-17.

In the final leg of his tour, PM Modi will undertake an official visit to Croatia and hold bilateral discussions with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković and meet the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic. The visit to Croatia will also underscore India’s commitment to further strengthen its engagement with partners in the EU.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, the PM had cancelled his nation-nation tour to Europe, which included Croatia, Norway and the Netherlands.

EdoT

Israel-Iran conflict may be in focus

Though the G7 Summit agenda this year was focussed on building supply chains for critical minerals, energy security, and countering foreign interference and transnational crime, the focus is likely to be on the Israel-Iran conflict and containing any escalation. PM Narendra Modi is likely to hold discussions with various stakeholders on the issue and express India’s stance on dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward.