Growing diplomatic engagement. During a mission focused on growth diplomacy in India, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi stressed that India is “of absolute importance” for Italy.
- The Italian government is determined to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries – a sentiment echoed by Prime Ministers Giorgia Meloni and Narendra Modi during their November meeting at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
- Tripodi highlighted the significance of the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, which prioritises sectors such as energy transition, connectivity, advanced manufacturing, defence, mobility, and migration.
- “These are areas where we possess recognised expertise that we can share with our Indian partners,” she remarked following discussions with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Complementarity and economic resilience. In a subsequent meeting with Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, the focus shifted to the strategic complementarities between Italy and India.
- “The numbers confirm the solidity of our relationship,” Tripodi commented, noting that despite global market uncertainties, bilateral trade has surpassed €14 billion – a figure expected to grow as the final hurdles in the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations are overcome.
- Tripodi also underlined Italy’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region through major platforms such as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
In India’s own words. Indian Ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao, affirmed that the strategic partnership reflects a deep alignment of values and common interests.
- In her first interview since arriving in Italy for our sister website Formiche, she observed, “Under Prime Minister Meloni, we are seeing Italy strengthening its relations and presence in Africa and the Middle East.”
- She further noted India’s long-standing partnership with Africa and emphasised that its ties with Gulf countries are fundamental to Indian foreign policy, alongside a growing focus on the Mediterranean.
- “The Indo-Pacific is crucial for maritime trade, global supply chains, and geopolitics,” the diplomat declared, welcoming Italy’s expanding engagement in the region.
Connecting strategic areas. “The Indo-Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific represent one vast maritime and geographical space in which we share common strategic interests.”
- Initiatives such as the recently revived India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor – championed by the United States under Donald Trump – offer an opportunity for Italy and India to collaborate on alternative infrastructure projects covering ports, telecommunications, logistics, and submarine cables.
- “Italian and Indian companies can adopt a long-term vision to enhance global competitiveness. Italian firms can contribute to India’s clean energy transition, industrial transformation, and the creation of resilient supply chains,” Ambassador Rao concluded.
Defence and future cooperation. Last week, Italian Defence Undersecretary Matteo Perego di Cremnago visited Bangalore to attend the Defence Ministers’ Conclave on behalf of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
- Topics ranged from emerging technologies and cybersecurity challenges to the need for bolstering global supply chain resilience – particularly the security of commercial, naval, and terrestrial links for transporting essential raw materials.
- “In an operational environment marked by evolving, multi-domain hybrid conflicts, collaboration and dialogue between nations are more essential than ever to foster international peace and stability,” noted the Undersecretary.
- He also met with the Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, and Defence Ministry’s Secretary General, Rajesh Kumar Singh, to explore potential areas of industrial cooperation across domains such as cyber and space.
