India and Italy have upgraded their ties to a special strategic partnership and pledged to expand two-way trade to 20 billion euros by 2029, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni held talks to enhance cooperation to strengthen rules-based order amid geopolitical conflicts and turmoil.
The two leaders expressed their concern about the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia and their impact on the world, and stressed the need for de-escalation and diplomacy to ensure lasting peace. They also called for freedom of navigation and the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday on the last leg of a five-nation tour aimed at strengthening India’s energy security and strengthening cooperation in key areas such as defence, security, trade, investment, emerging technologies and critical minerals. Modi and Meloni held talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which they agreed to benefit from the India-EU free trade agreement scheduled to be signed later this year.
Modi said in a joint media dialogue: “I am pleased that we are raising the level of our relations to a special strategic partnership.” “The India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-2029 provides a practical and forward-looking framework for our partnership. We are advancing it at the right time.”
The two leaders stressed the importance of increasing trade from the current level of 14 billion euros to 20 billion euros in 2029.
Meloni stressed the importance of Italy and India working together to promote freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as connecting this region to the Mediterranean Sea through the Indo-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Noting that India and Italy have been in regular contact on crises in Ukraine, West Asia and other tensions, Modi said: “India’s position is clear – all problems must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Meloni stressed the need for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, and expressed her hope that the peace negotiations would continue to address the Iranian crisis and reach a positive outcome.
The two sides agreed to establish a mechanism led by the two foreign ministers to review the joint strategic action plan for the years 2025-2029 and provide strategic guidance for the special strategic partnership. Modi and Meloni also agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, defence, security, science, technology, innovation, space, energy, artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, education and people-to-people relations, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“Technology and innovation are the drivers of our partnership. There is huge potential for cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum, space and civil nuclear energy,” Modi said. “We are working on the Indo-Italian Innovation Hub to connect startups, research centers and industries in both countries.”
He added: “Cooperation is increasing between the defense industries of both countries as well as between our militaries. Our defense industrial roadmap has paved the way for joint development and joint production.”
The two leaders welcomed the adoption of a joint declaration of intent and defense industrial roadmap that will strengthen partnerships for technology cooperation, co-production and joint development projects, including helicopters, naval platforms, naval armament and electronic warfare.
The two sides also agreed to launch a dialogue on maritime security to enhance coordination and exchange of information. Modi also said that the two sides will work on shipping, port modernization, logistics and blue economy. “We also discussed expanding our win-win partnership to include third countries. Moving forward in this direction, we agreed to work on concrete projects in Africa,” he said.
Modi added that India and Italy agree that terrorism poses a serious challenge to humanity and the joint initiative against terrorist financing has set an important example to the world. “India and Italy have sent a clear message that responsible democracies not only condemn terrorism but also take concrete steps to disrupt its financial networks,” he said.
The two sides agreed to enhance the mobility of students, researchers and skilled workers, especially in the STEM sectors, and expand cooperation in skills development in line with labor market needs, including a joint declaration of intent to facilitate the movement of nurses from India to Italy.
