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India and Italy are set to expand cooperation across trade, defence, mobility, and maritime security as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi first bilateral visit to Rome, Indian Ambassador to Italy Vani Rao said on Monday.
Speaking ahead of PM Modi's visit as part of his five-nation tour, Rao said the trip would provide an opportunity to "review our cooperation with Italy and to also be more aspirational about what we want to do with Italy in the future." She outlined four key areas of focus for the high-level engagement, with trade, defence, mobility and maritime security and ports as key priority sectors for talks, while highlighting the growing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Rome in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions. "First, of course, is to further increase the trade and investment between the two countries. We are also inviting Italian companies to look at India for a long-term presence and long-term business collaborations," Rao said. "Defence will be an important area where we are going to see how we can boost industrial partnerships. Third will be mobility, and we will look at how to increase the flow of talent and knowledge between the two countries. Of course, maritime security and ports are another area", she added. On potential agreements, Rao said the visit is aimed at delivering substantive outcomes across these sectors, though specific pacts would be announced during the visit. She also underscored the shared values underpinning the partnership, noting that in the current geopolitical environment, maritime security, resilient supply chains, energy security, and competitive industrial ecosystems are common priorities for both India and Italy. "Both countries share democratic values, are committed to global peace and security, and are focused on inclusive growth and development. We are looking at strengthening maritime security, resilient supply chains, trade partnerships, energy security, and competitive industrial ecosystems," she said. Rao highlighted the key areas of cooperation between the two nations, while emphasising that Italy, a key member of the G7 and G20 and one of Europe's most industrialised nations, is a critical partner for India. PM Modi's visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties and open new avenues for economic and strategic collaboration. PM Modi's visit to Italy is the last leg of his five-nation tour from May 15 to May 20 and comes at the invitation of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. The Prime Minister will pay an official visit to Italy from May 19 to May 20. He previously visited Italy in June 2024 for the G7 Summit. During this trip, he is scheduled to meet the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Meloni. The visit comes amid strong momentum in India-Italy relations, with both sides actively advancing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a broad framework for cooperation across multiple areas. These include trade--which reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025--investment, with cumulative FDI of USD 3.66 billion (April 2000-September 2025), as well as defence and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges. (ANI)
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