Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday, 17 September 2026, extended warm birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday, reaffirming that Italy and India continue to strengthen their ‘deep bond of friendship’ and are building a shared future of cooperation and prosperity.

Meloni’s Birthday Message

In a post on X, the Italian Prime Minister wrote: ‘Happy birthday to my friend Narendra Modi, to whom I wish health, energy, and success. Italy and India continue to strengthen their deep bond of friendship, building together a future of cooperation and prosperity for our Nations.’ The message underscored the personal warmth and diplomatic closeness that has characterised ties between the two leaders in recent years.

Who Is Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Modi was born on 17 September 1950 in Vadnagar, Gujarat. He has served as India’s Prime Minister since 26 May 2014 and is currently in his third consecutive term, making him the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India. Prior to his national role, he served as Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. This year also marks his 25 years in public life.

A Reciprocal Friendship

The birthday exchange reflects a deepening personal rapport. Earlier this month, Modi had congratulated Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history. In his 4 September post on X, Modi wrote: ‘Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership.’ He also credited her friendship as ‘instrumental’ in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership.

Responding to Modi’s congratulations, Meloni had said: ‘The relationship between Italy and India is today stronger than ever.’ She had also highlighted the two nations’ shared commitment to developing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), signalling that the bilateral agenda extends well beyond ceremonial diplomacy.

The Special Strategic Partnership

The formal diplomatic upgrade came in May 2026, when Modi paid a two-day official visit to Italy and held talks with both Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The two leaders elevated bilateral ties to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership and agreed to hold annual leader-level meetings, including on the sidelines of multilateral forums, as well as regular ministerial and institutional exchanges. The two leaders had welcomed the ‘strong momentum’ of high-level engagements at that summit. In July, Meloni had also congratulated Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister and expressed readiness to work together in creating new opportunities for citizens of both nations.

What This Signals

The bilateral relationship has followed a steep upward trajectory since the two leaders established personal chemistry at multilateral forums. Notably, both Italy and India are members of the G7 and G20, and the push to develop IMEC gives the partnership a concrete geopolitical and economic dimension beyond bilateral trade. As India seeks to diversify its European partnerships and Italy positions itself as a key southern European gateway, the Modi-Meloni axis is emerging as one of the more active bilateral relationships in India’s European diplomacy. How quickly IMEC moves from framework to infrastructure will be the real measure of this partnership’s depth.