PM Modi holds delegation-level meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella
Rome, May 20
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held delegation-level talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. During the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, MEA Secretary Sibi George, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior diplomatic officials.
Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni over dinner shortly after arriving in Rome, on the last leg of his five-nation visit.
They both then undertook a visit to the iconic Colosseum, where they engaged in deep conversation over a wide range of subjects.
In a post on X, PM Modi shared glimpses of his visit with Meloni and said, "Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner, followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum. We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship."
Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in Rome for the final leg of his five-nation tour.
Sharing a picture with PM Modi on X, Meloni wrote, "Welcome to Rome, my friend!"
Meloni shared an earlier picture of both leaders at the Colosseum in Italy.
PM Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in Rome. He interacted with members of the Indian community and witnessed cultural performances at his hotel. PM Modi also signed an autograph for a child who greeted him with a portrait.
Among those who met the Prime Minister was Svamini Shuddhananda Ghiri, who said she was meeting PM Modi for the second time after 2021. She further said that the Sanatana Dharma Samgha had been recognised as an official religion in Italy by the Italian Parliament.
"I am very happy, and this is the second time we have met him. We met him in 2021 and he also continued to sustain and to foster our mission...Sanatana Dharma Samgha is recognised as an official religion here in Italy by the Italian Parliament," she told ANI.
PM Modi's Italy 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.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was in Norway for the fourth leg of his five-nation tour and before his Oslo visit, he was in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an Indian living in Europe, I can see the real impact of this diplomacy. The recognition of Sanatana Dharma Samgha as an official religion in Italy is a big win for our cultural presence abroad. 🇮🇳
Happy to see PM Modi's diplomatic outreach, but I have mixed feelings about the Colosseum photo op. Hope these visits translate to more Indian students getting scholarships in Italian universities and vice versa. We need more academic exchange, not just trade numbers.
My cousin works in Rome and she said the Indian diaspora there is small but very active. PM Modi's interactions with them, including the child with the portrait, show the personal connection he maintains. That matters for overseas Indians like us. 😊
Impressive that PM Modi is on a five-nation tour. The Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 sounds promising, especially the clean energy and defence cooperation. But I wish we saw more coverage of the actual agreements signed rather than just the photo moments. Still, good for India-Italy relations!
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