New Delhi: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on a visit to India, held talks with PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in the national capital and exchanged views on taking the bilateral ties forward with a mutual commitment to foster growth. According to the official, both leaders stressed the need to widen collaboration in various fields and deepen convergences on regional and global issues.
The agenda of the talks also included political, trade and economic, defence, science and technology, energy, health, consular and cultural spheres. The Italian PM was accorded a warm welcome by PM Modi. She attended the ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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Later in the evening, PM Modi will inaugurate the 8th Raisina dialogue in New Delhi with Italian PM Meloni will be the chief guest and the keynote Speaker. This is PM Meloni’s first visit to India. The last Prime Ministerial visit from Italy to India took place in October 2018. Her visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen the long-standing relationship between India and Italy.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will call on PM Meloni while the visiting PM call on President Droupadi Murmu later. India and Italy are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year. The multifaceted bilateral relationship is based on shared cultural values, commitment to foster economic growth and collaboration in the fields of green energy, science and tech and defence and is marked by convergence on regional and global issues.
The two countries have also been cooperating closely in various multilateral forums. During the visit, Meloni will attend a business roundtable today, which will be co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.
Prime Minister Meloni's visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen the long-standing relationship between India and Italy, the MEA said. Both sides will take stock of the progress on the key outcomes of the November 2020 Summit, 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.
