Cyprus extends "full solidarity" to India, backs "zero tolerance" stance for dealing with terrorism: FM Kombos

New Delhi [India], October 30 (ANI): Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Thursday expressed his country's full solidarity with India following the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April, emphasising that both nations share a "zero tolerance" stance towards terrorism and those who support or finance it.
During his opening remarks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the first ministerial visit to the country, Kombos said, "We have extended our full solidarity to India after the recent terrorist attacks, and we totally agree with the approach that there can be no other way of dealing with terrorism other than zero tolerance. That, of course, extends not only to the terrorists but also to those who support and finance them."
His remarks came in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) through precision strikes. India also successfully repelled subsequent Pakistani escalation and neutralised its airbases.
Kombos also expressed appreciation for India's "principled approach" toward the "Cyprus problem" and pledged to push for stronger EU-India ties as well as commit to strengthening bilateral ties, as Cyprus prepares to assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union starting in January 2026.
By "Cyprus problem", the Foreign Minister was referring to the unauthorised activities in the buffer zone separating Greek and Turkish communities in the northern and southern regions of the Mediterranean island since 1974.
The current issue between Cyprus and Turkey is an ongoing dispute between Greek Cypriots in the south and Turkish Cypriots in the north.
He further described the FTA as a "strategic choice" in the mutual interest of both the EU and India, with Cyprus offering "steadfast support" to accelerate progress.
"Moving towards assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union in a few days, I want to assure you that we'll continue pushing for further enhancing the EU-India relation in all aspects, at the political aspect, but also in relation to the free trade agreement that is being negotiated," Kombos said.
"We believe this is a strategic choice for the European Union that needs to be fulfilled for the simple reason that it's in the mutual interest of both the EU and India," he added.
Kombos further emphasised the deep historical and value-based foundation of bilateral ties.
Reflecting on his visit, the Foreign Minister noted that this was the first visit by a Cypriot foreign minister to India in 14 years.
"We are now picking up from the point where our predecessors had stopped, and we have a lot of work ahead of us--work that has been politically set out by the leadership after the declaration and the Joint Action Plan for five years. There has been considerable progress. I believe we can do more and faster, because events around us are moving at an unprecedented speed," he added.
Speaking on the broader partnership, Kombos highlighted the trust and shared values underpinning India-Cyprus relations.
"During these times, words like 'trust', 'friendship', and 'strong cooperation between countries' are not terms that we use very often, and at least not in a way that we genuinely mean it. Our relationship is built on strong foundations -- respect for international law, mutual support, and shared commitment to global peace and stability," he said.
The Foreign Minister, who arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday, is currently on a three-day visit to the country. (ANI)