Modi-Meloni meeting puts Italy at center of India’s Europe strategy

Jerusalem Post ^ | MAY 24, 2026 | Giorgi Valente

[Cronos]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-nation tour from May 15 to 20 moved through the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, but Rome gave the trip its clearest strategic message. The stop in Italy showed how New Delhi is trying to widen its options in a more fragmented world by combining trade, technology, defense, connectivity, and corridor politics into a single diplomatic approach.

In Rome, India and Italy elevated their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership and adopted a joint declaration that stretched across trade, investment, supply chains, critical minerals, clean technologies, semiconductors, ports, maritime security, defense industrial cooperation, innovation, space, migration, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). They also reaffirmed their aim of raising bilateral trade to €20 billion by 2029.

That upgrade gives Italy a more important place in India’s Europe strategy than the usual diplomatic courtesy visit. Italy is a major EU economy, a Mediterranean state, a NATO member, and one of the Western governments that has shown a strong political interest in IMEC. For India, Rome is a useful bridge to Europe and a possible gateway to the Mediterranean route that New Delhi wants to turn into a strategic asset.

The official India-Italy declaration was unusually dense in practical detail. The two governments said they wanted to build resilient supply chains, expand industrial and technology partnerships, and deepen cooperation in sectors including textiles, clean technologies, semiconductors, automotive, energy, tourism, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, digital technologies, steel, ports, and infrastructure. They also called for stronger links among stock exchanges, investment funds, banks, insurers, and other financial institutions.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS:

[Cronos]

[escapefromboston]

Let me guess : they want to flood Italy with Indians.

[Made In The USA]

There’s enough ‘migrants’ in Italy right now.

I’ll never understand the idea of taking an established culture, a rich history, deeply rooted tradition, and commonly accepted social norms - and allowing it all to be flushed down the toilet in favor of self destruction. Not in the U.K., not in France. not in Germany, not in Italy, or right here in America.

It’s more than ‘liberalism is a mental disorder’, it’s a suicidal fetish from self-loathing psychopaths. The wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Left over immigration policy change would be sweet music to my ears.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Italy already has enough street sh!++ers and scammers.

[nwrep]

I did not realize that. Shameful.

[montag813]

Italy is already flooded with Chinese workers, which accelerated their COVID deaths earlier than anyone else. Now they will flood Italy with Indians? For shat possible benefit?