Italy's former Foreign Minister and current Senator Giulio Terzi has described the state of India-Italy relations as 'extraordinarily good', calling India a 'true partner' whose bilateral ties with Rome remain one of the key pillars of Italian foreign policy — spanning a strategic arc that stretches from Europe through the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and into the Indo-Pacific. In an exclusive interview published on 15 September 2026, Terzi underscored the accelerating momentum of the partnership and its growing depth across defence, space, trade, and migration.

A Partnership 'Developing to a Crescendo'

'The state of our relations is not only excellent, it is extraordinarily good. Our relationship has been developing very, very well over the last four years,' Terzi said. He described the India-Italy relationship as 'unique' among the many strategic partnerships both countries maintain, crediting the personal chemistry between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for driving it forward.

The formal scaffolding for the partnership is the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, which was further reinforced during Meloni's visit to New Delhi — where she participated as a special guest at the Raisina Dialogue. In May, Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to Italy at Meloni's invitation, during which the two leaders elevated the bilateral relationship to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership. They also agreed to hold annual leader-level meetings and regular ministerial exchanges. According to Terzi, over the last year and a half, roughly 30 meetings at the ministerial level have already taken place.

Defence, Space and Cybersecurity Take Centre Stage

Terzi singled out the visit of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto to New Delhi in April as 'most important'. Discussions covered cooperation between the armed forces of both countries, defence industry collaboration, and defence technologies. According to the Italian Senator, a number of agreements were reached in principle, with several programmes already moving towards implementation.

'Defence industry cooperation is certainly important, but let me also mention cooperation in space, education and training,' he said. He highlighted the particular value of enabling Indian specialists in cybersecurity and space to work in Italy, framed within the bilateral economic dialogue. A bilateral economic committee — which 'meets periodically' and 'brings together the main dynamic elements of our two economies' — serves as the institutional anchor for this commercial exchange.

Migration: Shared Policy Ground Between Rome and New Delhi

Terzi also drew an explicit line of convergence between Italian and Indian migration policy, pointing to the European Union's Migration and Asylum Pact, which entered into force in June for all 27 EU member states. He argued that both governments share a commitment to combating criminal organisations that exploit vulnerable people through illegal migration — whether across the Mediterranean or across land borders.

'We therefore see a common understanding between Rome and New Delhi regarding the importance of respecting international law and ensuring that international rules are upheld for the benefit of all our people,' he stated. He also flagged the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a project that is 'increasingly becoming a reality', already attracting interest from business communities and scientific and educational institutions.

Modi's Popularity in Italy and the Parliamentary Dimension

Terzi — who also chairs the India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group — said the strategic partnership is 'extremely important' not just for the Italian government but for the parliamentary majority as a whole. He noted that Prime Minister Modi's message to Meloni on 4 September, congratulating her on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy's postwar history, 'was particularly appreciated' and generated an immediate social media response.

'Prime Minister Modi is very popular in my country. He is personally very popular, and there is also strong recognition of his government,' Terzi said, adding that Modi has 'played an important role in seeking to mitigate tensions and preserve peace as a fundamental objective of Indian foreign policy.'

With annual leader summits now institutionalised and a five-year action plan guiding the relationship, the trajectory of India-Italy ties points firmly upward — the next test will be whether project-level cooperation in defence and IMEC translates from agreements in principle to verifiable outcomes on the ground.