Sawt Falasteen - Colosseum selfies, 'Melody' toffee and trade: Modi visits Rome

It was the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Italy in 26 years, although Modi visited Italy in 2021 for a G20 meeting and again in 2024 for a G7 summit.

"Today, here in Rome, we are elevating our relationship to the level of a special strategic partnership -– the highest ever achieved in relations between our two nations," Meloni said following the talks held at the Villa Pamphili, a 17th-century villa where foreign leaders are often officially received.

"We can say without fear of contradiction that Italy and India are now closer than ever, and that our relations are now in a position to realise their full potential," added Meloni.

The two leaders targeted a rise in bilateral trade between the countries to 20 billion euros ($23 billion) over the next three years from 14 billion euros today, she said.

Modi's visit to Italy, the end of a six-day tour to the United Arab Emirates and Europe, follows a free trade agreement sealed between India and the EU in January, a deal Modi has dubbed the "mother of all deals".

On Wednesday, Meloni said the "innovative dynamism" of the world's most populous country, its size and digital infrastructure complemented Italy's strengths in manufacturing and industry.

"Clearly, this is an integration that opens up opportunities for business, investment, high-quality employment, and industrial cooperation, and from this perspective we are determined to explore all these opportunities to the fullest," she said.

In recent months, India has become Italy's second-largest trading partner in Asia after China, according to Italy's foreign affairs ministry.

Those ties account for 2.1 percent of Italian exports and 0.9 percent of imports. While India greatly lags China, it has overtaken Japan and South Korea in trade with Italy.

- Textiles and tech -

Modi cited "limitless opportunities for collaboration" in the civil sector, noting that "artificial intelligence, quantum computer, space and nuclear energy" were areas in which India and Italy could partner.

Boosted investment could come in areas such as "textiles, clean technologies, semiconductors, automotive, energy, tourism, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, digital technologies, critical raw materials, steel, ports and infrastructure", the countries said in a joint declaration.

Earlier Wednesday, Meloni posted a lighthearted video on X thanking Modi for bringing along a packet of "Melody" toffees on his visit -- a play on their names -- with the two leaders seen chuckling over the gift.

Modi also planned to visit the Rome headquarters of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) "strengthening India's commitment to multilateralism as well as global food security".

Modi's Rome visit wraps up a European tour, in which he visited the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST