S Jaishankar has lauded the role of Indian peacekeepers under the UN flag
Larnaca, Cyprus:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has lauded the role of Indian peacekeepers under the UN flag as he visited a road named in memory of General KS Thimayya here in Cyprus.
Mister Jaishankar is currently on his first official visit to Cyprus as India celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relations with the Mediterranean country.
“Great to see the street in Larnaca named after General KS Thimayya. Indian peacekeepers serving under the UN flag are appreciated across the world,” S Jaishankar tweeted on Friday along with the pictures.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides has also appreciated and thanked India for its significant contribution over the years to its participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
India is the second largest contributor to UN Missions with 5,887 personnel.
Mr. Kasoulides said these things during his meeting with Mr. Jaishankar, who is on his first visit to Cyprus.
“I express my appreciation for India’s significant contribution over the years through its participation in UNFICYP along with military and police personnel,” Kasoulides said on Thursday.
“Cyprus was very fortunate to have 3 Indian commanders of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus: General Giani, General (coder Subaiya) Thimayya, who served in Cyprus until his death in 1965, and General Diwan Prem Chand, who served in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion. The tireless efforts to protect civilians, evacuate foreign diplomatic staff and secure the airport in Nicosia will never be forgotten.”
“Our island, home to one of the longest serving UN peacekeeping missions in our region, we thank India for the service and sacrifice of its peacekeepers,” he said.
General Thimayya, a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army, served as the Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the 1962 conflict with China.
After the Korean War, General Thimayya headed the United Nations unit dealing with the repatriation of prisoners of war. After his retirement from the Indian Army, he commanded the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus. While in Cyprus, he died of a heart attack in 1965.
Over 200,000 Indians have served in 49 of the 71 UN peacekeeping missions established around the world since 1948.
On Friday, Mr. Jaishankar also met the former Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides. Jaishankar tweeted, “Nice to meet an old friend, former Foreign Minister @Christodulides.”
The External Affairs Minister arrived in Cyprus on Friday on a three-day visit to the country as India and Cyprus celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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