Italian Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said he extended the invitation to PM Modi on behalf of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and received a positive response.
PM Narendra Modi with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. (ANI)
Antonio Tajani, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Italy in 2026.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Tajani said he extended the invitation to PM Modi on behalf of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and received a positive response. He said, “I invited in the name of my Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. I invited the Prime Minister for a trip to Italy. The answer has been yes. 2026 he will be in my country in Italy.”
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When asked about Giorgia Meloni’s possible visit to India, Tajani said the decision would follow further discussions between the two leaders. He affirmed that India-Italy relations are strengthening. The ties are on a strong upward trajectory, spanning trade, infrastructure and strategic collaboration.
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On November 23, PM Modi and PM Meloni had met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, reviewing cooperation across trade, defence, innovation, AI, space and education.
Tajani arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday with a large business delegation, marking his second visit to India this year. His three-day trip underscores the accelerating diplomatic engagement between the two countries and follows a series of recent high-level exchanges.
Also read: India and Italy forge strategic sports alliance with new MoU
PM Modi met Tajani on Wednesday and discussed the progress made in advancing the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029.
Tajani described his meeting with PM Modi as ‘very positive’, noting wide-ranging discussions on the India-Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), industrial partnerships, cultural cooperation and global peace efforts. He emphasised India’s crucial role in encouraging dialogue to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and highlighted the growing scope for joint ventures in infrastructure, technology and manufacturing.
“The meeting with the Prime Minister has been very positive. Talking about the super relations between India and Italy, on IMEC, we have spoken on this. We have also spoken about cooperation at the industrial level. Also, of peace, of course. India is very important for pushing Russia to achieve an agreement on Ukraine. This is important and it is also important to strengthen the cooperation for the next years for industry but also for culture. IMEC is also very important, this infrastructure and trade corridor between India and Italy, from India through Israel, through the Gulf countries, to Egypt, through the Mediterranean Sea, to Trieste. This is very important, the cooperation,” he said.
Tajani will conclude his India visit on Friday, departing from Mumbai.
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