NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni saw the two countries elevating their relationship to the level of strategic partnership and also signing an MoU for defence cooperation. Modi also invited Italian defence companies to actively participate in the Make in India initiative.
“This year India and Italy are celebrating the 75th anniversary of bilateral ties. On this occasion, we have decided to elevate the India-Italy partnership to the status of a strategic partnership,” Modi said in a joint press statement with Meloni.
Meloni, meanwhile, described Modi as the mostloved leader in the world. On his part, Modi said the two nations had also decided to hold joint exercises andtraining courses between the armed forces of the two countries on a regular basis. “We both share hopethat India as G20 presidentcan play a key role in facilitating negotiations towardsa ceasefire and a just peace,”Meloni further said.
Later, delivering the inaugural address at Raisina Dialogue here, she said geographical distance from Ukraine conflict shouldn’t “overshadow” the relevance of what is at stake and said nations can’t sit idly in the face of Russian “provocation” which threatens to undermine stability across the globe.