Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades  was officially welcomed on Friday by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee at the Presidential Palace of the country in New Delhi.

In a statement to the media, Anastasiades said that Cyprus is looking forward to further enhancing its cooperation with India and expressed gratitude for the principle stance of New Delhi towards efforts for a peaceful solution to  the Cyprus problem.

An official press release issued by the Presidency of Cyprus said that President Anastasiades arrived in the morning at the Presidential Palace where he was welcomed by President Mukherjee in the presence of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi while an Honour Guard and mounted soldiers presented honours.

The National Anthems of Cyprus and India were performed and then the two Presidents inspected a military Honour Guard. Following the official welcoming ceremony, the President of the Republic, in the presence of the President and the Prime Minister of India, made remarks to the media.

In his statement the President said that «our relations are going back in history. We have excellent relations and what we are looking for is to enhance further our cooperation in a lot of fields, among other, energy, technology, tourism, culture, education. We are working together in the Commonwealth as well as in the United Nations, we have a very close cooperation while at the same time I have to express my gratitude for the principle stance of India towards our efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus question.”

Moreover he warmly thanked the President and the Prime Minister as well as the people of India for their support and noted that “as a member state of the European Union we are going to be the special envoy of India within the EU and we shall continue to work together in all international for a or anywhere else where we can be useful to each other.”

The President of the Republic was accompanied by the members of the Cyprus delegation.

Subsequently President Anastasiades and his entourage left the Presidential Palace where they will return in the evening to attend the official dinner that will be hosted in his honour by the President of India.

Anastasiades also met on Friday, in New Delhi, with the Minister of External Affairs of India Sushma Swaraj. Bilateral issues, recent developments on the Cyprus problem, international issues, the and relations between the European Union and India, were among the issues discussed during the meeting.

The President also visited Raj Ghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, where, during a special ceremony, he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, while a minute of silence was observed. Anastasiades laid a wreath at the memorial and signed the book of visitors.