Rome, Feb 27 (NationPress) On Friday, India and Italy engaged in discussions centered on essential strategic defence priorities, aligning on the goal to enhance industrial partnerships aimed at strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

The dialogue took place during a meeting featuring Sanjeev Kumar, the Defence Production Secretary from the Ministry of Defence, and General Luciano Portolano, the Chief of Italian Defence Forces.

"Secretary (DP) Sanjeev Kumar shared insights with General Luciano Portolano regarding their strategic defence priorities. Both nations acknowledged the critical need to improve industrial collaborations to reinforce India–Italy defence ties," the Indian Embassy in Italy shared on X.

On the preceding day, Kumar had a meeting with Italy's Under Secretary of State for Defence, Matteo Perego di Cremnago, and also engaged with Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, the National Armaments Director of Italy.

During these discussions, they reached a consensus on the necessity to advance cooperation by utilizing the complementary strengths within their respective defence industrial frameworks.

The Ministry of Defence stated, "Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), met with Matteo Perego di Cremnago, Under Secretary of State for Defence, Italy. He also interacted with Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, the National Armaments Director of Italy, focusing on enhancing industrial cooperation."

"The discussions reviewed the ongoing India–Italy initiatives, industrial partnerships, and the policy frameworks that guide engagement within the defence sector. Both parties committed to further collaboration by tapping into their complementary defence industrial strengths," the Ministry added.

Kumar also provided remarks at the India–Italy Defence Industry Seminar held in Rome, which saw active participation from Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), companies, and startups from both nations facilitated by India's Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Italy's Aerospace, Defence and Security Federation (AIAD).

"The India–Italy Defence Industry Seminar in Rome featured strong involvement from defence PSUs, companies, and startups from both countries under the aegis of India's SIDM and Italy's AIAD. The Secretary (DP) and Director(NAD) set the stage with their keynote addresses, and the B2B and B2G meetings presented an excellent opportunity to explore industrial alignment and integrate supply chains," the Indian Embassy in Italy noted on X.

In December, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to New Delhi. PM Modi remarked that the India-Italy relationship is "continuously strengthening," emphasizing that this deepening bond benefits both nations and positively impacts the global community.

"I was pleased to meet Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, today. I expressed gratitude for the proactive measures taken by both sides to implement the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 across vital sectors such as trade, investment, research, innovation, defence, space, connectivity, counter-terrorism, education, and people-to-people relations. The friendship between India and Italy is growing stronger, greatly benefiting our populations and the global community," PM Modi remarked on X following the meeting.