Johannesburg, South Africa – On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed her solidarity with India following the recent terror attack in Delhi. The meeting served as an opportunity for both leaders to discuss the strengthening of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership and address global issues of mutual concern.
Prime Minister Meloni unequivocally condemned the Delhi blast and reiterated Italy's commitment to supporting India in the global fight against terrorism. In a significant step towards enhanced cooperation, both leaders adopted the ‘India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism’. This initiative aims to deepen collaboration between the two countries on counter-terrorism efforts across major international and multilateral platforms, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF). India views this collaboration as a critical component in isolating and dismantling global terror infrastructure.
The meeting between Modi and Meloni builds upon their brief interaction earlier this year at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. During their discussion, the leaders reviewed the progress of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, noting positive developments across various sectors such as trade and investment, defense, security, space, science & technology, education, and people-to-people ties. They expressed satisfaction with the advancement of the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29.
Both leaders acknowledged and welcomed the two Business Fora held in New Delhi and Brescia this year, which saw strong participation from respective industries. They also highlighted ongoing efforts to increase business, technology, innovation, and investment partnerships, with the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of both economies and building resilient supply chains.
Furthermore, the leaders recognized the importance of collaboration in the space sector, appreciating the recent visit of an Italian Space delegation to India. This visit is expected to boost collaboration at both governmental and private sector levels.
Prime Minister Meloni reaffirmed Italy's strong support for the conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement and for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026.
Meanwhile, investigations into the Delhi blast are underway, revealing that the attacks were planned as far back as 2023. According to reports, the suspects in custody have admitted to arranging funds for the conspiracy, totaling Rs 26 lakhs. The investigation has also identified the suicide bomber as Umar Nabi.
The meeting between Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni reaffirms the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Italy. Both leaders expressed their commitment to continuing dialogue and working together in multilateral and global platforms to uphold shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and sustainable development. Following the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi has emplaned for New Delhi.
