India and Italy are seeking to strengthen cooperation against terrorism, organized crime and terrorist financing, with a focus on information sharing and emerging technological threats.
Why it matters: Two meetings held in New Delhi on October 6–7 highlighted the countries’ shared commitment to tackling cross-border terrorism, drug trafficking and the misuse of new technologies for terrorist purposes.
The latest: India and Italy held two high-level meetings in New Delhi: the sixth meeting of their Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime on October 6, followed by the second meeting of the Permanent Task Force on Countering Financing of Terrorism on October 7.
- Counterterrorism agencies from both countries participated in the discussions.
- Both sides reiterated their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and specifically condemned the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The key issues:
- Emerging threats: Officials discussed regional and global terrorist threats, drug trafficking and ways to strengthen cooperation against organized crime.
- Technology and information sharing: Both countries emphasized the need to counter the misuse of information, communication and financial technologies for terrorist purposes. They also discussed capacity-building and improved information exchange.
- Terrorist financing: The Permanent Task Force focused on strengthening cooperation under the India-Italy Joint Initiative on Countering Financing of Terrorism, launched by the two countries’ prime ministers on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025.
- Multilateral cooperation: The discussions also covered counterterrorism efforts through the United Nations, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Who was involved: The meetings were co-chaired by Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary for Counter Terrorism at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Paolo Mari, Joint Secretary for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy at Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
What’s next: The two countries agreed to hold the next meetings of the Joint Working Group and the Permanent Task Force in Rome, Italy, on mutually convenient dates.
The bottom line: India and Italy have reaffirmed their commitment to closer counterterrorism cooperation, with particular attention to terrorist financing, organized crime and the evolving threats posed by emerging technologies. The official statement did not announce specific new operational measures or implementation deadlines.
(Photo: X, @ItalyInIndia)
