Image credit: ANI
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday for the final leg of his five-nation tour, where he is scheduled to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella, hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and participate in diplomatic engagements before departing for India on Wednesday.”Welcome to Rome, my friend!” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X, sharing a picture with PM Modi. The high-profile transit, spanning the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy from May 15 to 20, comes at a time when the international community is navigating severe geopolitical headwinds, including conflicts in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war.
What is on PM Modi’s agenda for Italy
- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): PM Modi said the visit will focus on boosting India-Italy cooperation, with special attention to IMEC, a strategic connectivity project aimed at enhancing trade and infrastructure links between India, the Middle East and Europe.
- Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029: The two leaders will review the broad framework for cooperation across multiple areas, including trade, investment, defence and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
- Bilateral trade and investment: Trade between India and Italy reached 16.77 billion in 2025,while cumulative FDI stood at 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025. Discussions will focus on further expanding economic ties.
- Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): PM Modi will visit the UN agency’s headquarters in Rome, reinforcing India’s commitment to multilateralism and global food security.
- Cultural and diaspora engagement: PM Modi interacted with members of the Indian community in Rome, witnessed cultural performances, and viewed a painting of Varanasi’s ghats created by an Italian artist inspired by Indian culture.
