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The Greek Cypriot administration is reportedly planning to expand defense cooperation with India and purchase BrahMos supersonic missiles as part of a broader strategic partnership between the two sides.
Reports in Greek Cypriot and Indian media said the Greek Cypriot administration is working with India on a defense cooperation roadmap covering the 2026-2031 period.
The plan reportedly includes joint military training, port visits, maritime security, cybersecurity, and technical defense cooperation.
The Greek Cypriot administration is also said to be interested in Indian weapons systems, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Reports claimed that the possible BrahMos purchase would be made under a defense package of about €1.2 billion allocated to the Greek Cypriot administration under the European Union’s SAFE program.
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia.
The system can reportedly reach speeds of about Mach 2.8 to Mach 3 and can be launched from land, air, sea and submarine platforms.
India has officially exported BrahMos missiles only to the Philippines so far. Under an agreement signed in 2022, delivery of the missile systems to the Philippines began.
An article published by the Indian website The Jaipur Dialogues described the strengthening of New Delhi-Nicosia ties as a geopolitical response to Türkiye.
The report linked the defense cooperation between India and the Greek Cypriot administration to wider regional balances and Türkiye’s relations with Pakistan.
It also connected the developments to the presentation of a new long-range Turkish missile system, arguing that Ankara is trying to strengthen its deterrent power and send messages to countries with which it has geopolitical disputes.
The Indian report said the India-Greek Cypriot administration defense roadmap goes beyond a simple arms transaction and carries a broader geopolitical dimension in the eastern Mediterranean.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides visited India on May 20-23 and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the visit, the two sides announced that relations had been raised to the level of a “Strategic Partnership.”
Reports said relations between the Greek Cypriot administration and India are not limited to defense, with contacts also increasing in Indian investment, technology, and the film industry.
The Indian report also focused on Türkiye-Pakistan ties and the Turkish leadership’s statements on Kashmir.
It described the New Delhi-Nicosia rapprochement as part of a broader geopolitical competition stretching from South Asia to the eastern Mediterranean.
The report also linked Türkiye’s presence in Somalia, Ankara’s energy goals in the eastern Mediterranean and its relations with Cyprus and Greece to India’s effort to build a more active strategic role in the region.
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