Remarks by High Commissioner at the Get-together Hosted for the National Defence College Delegation at India House

Lieutenant General Emmanuel Theodorou,

Air Vice Marshal Manish Vasantkumar Patil,

Mayor of Nicosia, Mr. Charalambos Prountzos,

Mr. Demetris Assos,

Distinguished members of the National Defence College delegation,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I warmly welcome you all to India House this evening for this friendly get-together.

Today is a significant day in the India-Cyprus defence partnership, because this is first-ever visit of  delegation from National Defence College to the Republic of Cyprus.

This visit comes at an important moment in our bilateral relationship. It follows the successful State Visit of H.E. Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, to India from 20 to 23 May 2026, and the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, to Cyprus for the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, Gymnich, in Limassol on 27-28 May 2026.

During the State Visit, India and Cyprus elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership and adopted a Roadmap for Defence Cooperation for 2026-2031.

India-Cyprus relations are historic, warm and time-tested. Over the past year, especially after the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Cyprus in June 2025, our relations have gained strong momentum across trade, investment, technology, mobility, education, culture, people-to-people ties and strategic cooperation.

The Indian Army also has a special historical connection with Cyprus. During the Second World War, soldiers of the army of undivided India served in Cyprus and contributed to the defence of the Eastern Mediterranean theatre. Among the distinguished Indian military links to Cyprus was the 17^th Poona Horse, one of India’s most celebrated armoured regiments.

Decades later, during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 India-Pakistan War, the same regiment gave India one of its most inspiring stories of velour. Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal of 17^th Poona Horse displayed extraordinary bravery while engaging enemy armour. Even after his Centurion tank caught fire and he was ordered by his commanding officer to withdraw, he famously replied, “No Sir, I will not abandon my tank.” He continued to fight and made the supreme sacrifice.

For his exceptional gallantry, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military decoration.

His tank, named Famagusta JX-202, carries a special Cyprus connection. The tank was named after the historic Cypriot city ‘Famagusta”, reflecting the regiment's earlier association with Cyprus during the Second World War.  It was restored after the war and is now preserved at the Armoured Corps Centre and School in Ahmednagar. It remains a deeply emotional connection, a powerful symbol of courage, sacrifice, military memory and shared Commonwealth history.

Another important reminder of this shared history is the Nicosia Cremation Memorial at Wayne’s Keep Commonwealth War Cemetery, located in the United Nations Buffer Zone. The memorial commemorates 73 soldiers of the army of undivided India who died in Cyprus during the Second World War and whose remains were cremated in accordance with their faith. I have had the honour of visiting this memorial at least twice a year and paying homage to these brave soldiers.

India’s contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is another enduring pillar of our relationship. Three distinguished Indian military leaders served as Force Commanders of UNFICYP: Lieutenant General Prem Singh Gyani, the first Force Commander; General K.S. Thimayya, former Chief of the Indian Army and the second Force Commander; and Lieutenant General Dewan Prem Chand, the fifth Force Commander. All three were decorated soldiers with exemplary records of service. General Thimayya passed away in Cyprus on 18 December 1965 while serving as Force Commander. Cyprus honoured his memory through a commemorative stamp and by naming a road after him, reflecting the deep respect in which he continues to be held on the island.

These examples show that India-Cyprus relations are rooted in shared history, sacrifice, peacekeeping and a common commitment to international peace and stability.

Today, both countries are giving contemporary meaning to this historic relationship through stronger defence cooperation, strategic dialogue and closer institutional exchanges.

I am confident that the National Defence College delegation will find this study tour enriching and meaningful, and that you will carry back fond memories of Cyprus, its people and its institutions.

I once again convey my deep gratitude to our Cypriot friends from the Ministry of Defence, the National Guard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mayor of Nicosia, and Mr. Demetris Assos, for joining us this evening.

I wish you all a pleasant evening.

Thank you.