‘A source of inspiration’: Giorgia Meloni joins world leaders in wishing PM Modi on his birthday

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday extended warm wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday, sharing a smiling selfie of the two leaders from last year’s G7 summit.

In her post on X, Meloni wrote, “Happy 75th birthday to the Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi. His strength, determination, and ability to lead millions of people are a source of inspiration. With friendship and esteem, I wish him health and energy to continue guiding India toward a bright future and to further strengthen the relations between our Nations.”

Buon 75° compleanno al Primo Ministro indiano @narendramodi.
La sua forza, la sua determinazione e la sua capacità di guidare milioni di persone sono fonte di ispirazione.
Con amicizia e stima gli auguro salute ed energia per continuare a guidare l’India verso un futuro luminoso… pic.twitter.com/OqXr1GFlc0

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 17, 2025

Reviving the viral #Melodi trend from 2023, Meloni also shared a playful selfie with Modi, waving at the camera and saying, “Hello from the Melodi team.” Modi replied warmly, “Long live India-Italy friendship!” This was their second selfie after the one Meloni had posted during the COP28 Summit last year.

Leaders from across the world also sent greetings, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

US President Donald Trump extends greetings

The first to reach out was US President Donald Trump, who called Modi on Tuesday night—their first interaction since June 17, when Modi had bluntly told Trump that Washington had no role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and that trade was not discussed during Operation Sindoor.

Acknowledging the call, Modi posted on X: “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.”

During the conversation, Trump praised Modi for doing “a tremendous job” and thanked him for supporting efforts on the Russia-Ukraine war. Modi, in turn, expressed gratitude, called Trump “my friend” and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening India-US ties.