Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a detailed phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday, focusing on the proposed India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA), global security, and regional connectivity initiatives.
Modi thanked Meloni for Italy’s “proactive support for concluding a mutually beneficial India-EU trade agreement and promoting connectivity through the IMEEC initiative,” highlighting the strategic significance of both partnerships. The leaders also exchanged views on ways to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“Had an excellent conversation with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We reaffirmed our joint commitment to deepen India-Italy Strategic Partnership, and shared interest in bringing an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” Modi said on X.
The discussion comes as India and the EU aim to firm up the proposed FTA by the end of 2025. Negotiations resumed in June 2022 after an eight-year hiatus, with the 13th round currently underway in New Delhi. The agreement is expected to facilitate trade, investment, and market access, boosting economic ties across sectors including technology, pharmaceuticals, and energy.
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The conversation also focused on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), a flagship initiative formalised during the 2023 G20 Summit in Delhi. The corridor envisages a comprehensive network of roads, railways, and shipping links connecting India, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Europe, aimed at strengthening regional integration, supply chains, and strategic connectivity across Asia, the Middle East, and the West.
Observers noted that the India-Italy dialogue reflects wider European engagement in South Asian economic and security affairs. Italy, as a key EU member, has been instrumental in supporting India’s FTA ambitions while also contributing to discussions on global geopolitical stability, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Both leaders emphasised that enhanced cooperation on trade, technology, and connectivity would serve mutual economic and strategic interests.
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