India and Italy reinforce their strategic partnership as Jaishankar and Tajani review defence, tech, maritime and anti-terror cooperation under the 2025–29 plan, signalling deeper long-term collaboration…reports Asian Lite News
India and Italy reaffirmed their rapidly expanding strategic partnership on Wednesday as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in New Delhi for a wide-ranging review of bilateral cooperation. The meeting, part of Tajani’s second visit to India this year, underscored the growing political trust, shared values and common security priorities shaping ties between the two countries.
Tajani also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. After the meeting, Tajani said Italy and India are countries bound by a growing and solid friendship, mutually strategic partners. “The goal is to have more India in Italy and more Italy in India, also through the IMEC corridor that links our two countries through Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. With our governments we will strengthen the commitment to achieve peace in Ukraine and in the Middle East,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar said both sides had assessed progress across every major pillar of the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–29, the blueprint guiding future collaboration in defence, technology, maritime security, innovation, mobility, space, and trade. He also highlighted ongoing joint efforts to counter terror financing, a priority that has gained prominence in recent months.
In a message on X, the minister wrote, “Pleasure to meet DPM & FM @Antonio_Tajani of Italy today evening in New Delhi. Reviewed progress under the political, defence, tech & innovation, maritime, mobility, space, trade & investment domains outlined under our Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29. Also appreciated the joint efforts to counter terror financing. Dwelt on our cooperation with the EU, other regional, global & multilateral developments.”
During their talks, Jaishankar described Italy as “one of India’s closest partners”, thanking Tajani for the strong message of solidarity following last month’s terror incident in New Delhi. He emphasised that countering the financing of terrorism had become a central element of cooperation, particularly through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where both nations coordinate closely.
He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a joint initiative on tackling terror financing during their meeting on the margins of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. “That was a very positive step. We work with Italy. We regard you as one of our closest partners in that, including in the FATF,” Jaishankar said, noting that this commitment was now feeding into wider joint security frameworks.
Jaishankar also pointed to the strong momentum in bilateral ties, saying Tajani’s frequent visits reflected a high degree of political comfort and strategic alignment. “The fact that you come here so often is very welcome for us. It shows a very strong commitment. It has led to a very good relationship between us personally, between our governments,” he said. He added that the partnership rests on shared democratic values, cultural affinity and a common vision of a stable and secure global order.
A key focus of the meeting was economic engagement. Jaishankar noted that an Italian business delegation will meet Indian industry leaders in Mumbai on Thursday, signalling fresh appetite for investments and industrial partnerships under the action plan. “A big part of it was the economic collaboration. You have taken leadership in moving that. I’m sure you will have very, very good discussions,” he told Tajani.
The ministers also touched on emerging areas where the two countries hope to deepen cooperation, including maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, space collaboration, critical technologies, defence industrial partnerships, cultural exchanges and mobility pathways. Global issues such as developments in West Asia, the Ukraine conflict and India-EU relations also featured prominently.
Tajani’s visit comes as part of an ongoing sequence of high-level political engagement. Only weeks earlier, on November 23, Prime Minister Modi met Prime Minister Meloni during the G20 Summit in South Africa to review progress in trade, defence, AI, innovation, education, and space collaboration. Their meeting reinforced the shared ambition to elevate ties into a full-spectrum strategic partnership backed by stronger economic and security linkages.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Tajani on X, writing, “Warm welcome to Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on his arrival in New Delhi. This is his second visit to India this year. His engagements in Delhi and Mumbai will further strengthen the India-Italy Strategic Partnership.”
With both governments pushing ahead on political, defence and economic fronts, the latest meeting signals a renewed commitment to building long-term strategic cooperation rooted in shared priorities—from global stability and democratic values to cutting-edge innovation and secure economic growth.
