PROMOTING DEFENCE COOPERATION

This was Italian Prime Minister Meloni's first visit to India during which she was accompanied by Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and a high-powered business delegation

- LT GENERAL P.C. KATOCH (RETD)

ITALY'S PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI VISITED INDIA FROM March 2 to 4, 2023 at a time when India and Italy are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year. At the age of 46, Meloni is the first woman Prime Minister of Italy. She led the 'Brothers of Italy' (Fdl) political party since 2014 and has been the President of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party since 2020. This was Meloni's first visit to India during which she was accompanied by Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and a high-powered business delegation.

PM Meloni held bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called on President Draupadi Murmu and was the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the eighth Raisina Dialogue, a conference on geopolitics and geo-economics co-organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. A business roundtable was also held, which was co-chaired by Tajani and India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

Political relations between India and Italy were established in 1947. The two countries enjoy cordial relationship. There has been a regular exchange of visits at political and official levels between both countries. In November 2020, Prime Minister Modi and his then Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte held a virtual summit to strengthen security and defence cooperation, work towards closer economic ties, enhance the opportunity for the mobility of talent, and give strategic guidance to ongoing collaboration in science and technology. The Action Plan 2020-24 set an ambitious agenda for an enhanced Partnership with Italy, to whose full implementation both countries remain committed. Prime Minister Modi visited Rome in October 2021. During his visit an energy transition and renewable energy partnership was launched between the two countries.