Rome (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met Wednesday in talks to strengthen ties and boost trade, a day after a night-time tour of the Colosseum.
Issued on: 20/05/2026 - 16:48
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It was the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Italy in 26 years, although Modi visited Italy in 2021 for a G20 meeting and again in 2024 for a G7 summit. "Today, here in Rome, we are elevating our relationship to the level of a special strategic partnership -– the highest ever achieved in relations between our two nations," Meloni said following the talks held at the Villa Pamphili, a 17th-century villa where foreign leaders are often officially received."We can say without fear of contradiction that Italy and India are now closer than ever, and that our relations are now in a position to realise their full potential," added Meloni.The two leaders targeted a rise in bilateral trade between the countries to 20 billion euros ($23 billion) over the next three years from 14 billion euros today, she said.
Modi has called January's India-EU agreement the 'mother of all deals' © Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
