India and Cyprus held the first meeting of their Joint Maritime Committee (JMC) in Limassol, marking a new phase in bilateral maritime cooperation. The meeting took place on September 29 under the 2017 bilateral Agreement on Merchant Shipping and was co-chaired by Venkatesapathy S, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Theodoulos Mesimeris, Acting Permanent Secretary in Cyprus’s Shipping Deputy Ministry. The Indian delegation included High Commissioner to Cyprus Manish, officials from the mission in Nicosia and Deependra Singh Bisena, Deputy Director General in the Directorate General of Maritime Administration. The delegation held discussions with Cypriot authorities and maritime industry representatives during a four-day programme from September 28 to October 1. The discussions covered maritime education and training, investment opportunities, policy and strategy exchanges, and cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the International Maritime Organization. The talks also examined ways to strengthen institutional coordination between the two countries’ maritime sectors. The delegation held structured engagements with the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, maritime enterprises, the Cyprus Ports Authority and the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. It also visited the Port of Limassol. Areas identified for cooperation included maritime services, shipping finance, ship repair and recycling, seafarer training and welfare, and green shipping. Both sides also reviewed arrangements for the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister’s planned visit to India with a high-level trade delegation. The visit will precede a Maritime Business Forum in Mumbai in November 2026, which is intended to support joint ventures and investment in the maritime sector. The meeting forms part of the India-Cyprus Joint Action Plan and reflects both governments’ stated commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation. It follows a broader increase in diplomatic and economic engagement between India and Cyprus, with maritime collaboration emerging as an important area for institutional and commercial ties.