President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades was given ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi this morning. Mr. Anastasiades being received by the President Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ceremonial reception. Later, Mr Anastasiades laid wreath at Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi at Raj Ghat.

The visiting dignitary will meet President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi today. He will also present Mr Mukherjee with Grand Collar of Order of Makarios III, the highest ranked order of Cyprus to foreign heads of state and governments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation-level talks with Mr Anastasiades. Agreements and MoUs will be signed in the areas of merchant shipping, agriculture, aviation, education and culture to widen cooperation between the two countries after the talks.

Mr Anastasiades arrived in New Delhi Wednesday night on the second leg of his five-day visit to India. On the first leg of his visit, Mr Anastasiades arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday. He met Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao and gave a keynote address at a Business Forum.

Our correspondent reports that India and Cyprus enjoy close, friendly and time-tested ties and both countries share similar views on many global issues. With cumulative Foreign Direct Investment of above nine billion dollar, Cyprus is the eighth largest foreign investor in India. There is also scope for cooperation in sectors like pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, tourism and film production.