Will Italian Deputy PM Tajani's Visit to India Strengthen Bilateral Ties?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Tajani's visit signifies the strengthening of India-Italy relations.
- Meetings with Jaishankar will focus on key sectors like trade and defence.
- India and Italy are initiating a Joint Initiative to combat terrorism financing.
- The diplomatic ties established in 1947 celebrate over 75 years of relations.
- Italy is a major trading partner for India in the EU.
New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) Antonio Tajani, the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, is set to arrive in India on Wednesday for an official three-day visit.
During his stay, Tajani will engage in discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Wednesday. Following that, he will proceed to Mumbai for official activities on Thursday, as outlined in a media advisory from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Tajani is expected to leave Mumbai on Friday after wrapping up his engagements in India.
On November 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minister, held discussions during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors such as trade, investment, defence, innovation, AI, space, and education.
Following the meeting, PM Modi shared on X, "Had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The India-Italy Strategic Partnership is evolving remarkably, which is greatly advantageous for our nations' populations."
In another post, he stated, "We deliberated on further enhancing our collaboration in areas like trade, investment, defence, innovation, AI, space, and education."
He also mentioned, "India and Italy are initiating a Joint Initiative aimed at combating terrorism financing. This is a crucial and timely endeavor that will bolster humanity's fight against terrorism and its support systems," he added.
Previously, in September, Jaishankar met Tajani during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where they talked about bilateral relations and developments in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific.
India and Italy established diplomatic relations in 1947, celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2023. The two nations share a robust people-to-people connection, underscored by a significant Indian diaspora. Italy ranks as India's fourth largest trading partner within the European Union, following Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.