On Monday… Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened on Monday during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking their fifth meeting in the past two years.
- Building on discussions held in Puglia during Italy’s G7 presidency, the two leaders introduced an ambitious Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-2029.
- The plan seeks to elevate bilateral ties into a comprehensive partnership encompassing technology, defence, and trade.
- It outlines ten areas of cooperation, including boosting trade and co-production in promising sectors such as green technologies and advanced manufacturing, as well as enhancing collaboration in defence and space exploration.
- To maintain momentum, the leaders agreed to hold more frequent high-level meetings aimed at deepening political dialogue and fostering long-term cooperation.
Economic and technological collaboration. With bilateral trade on the rise, the action plan focuses on leveraging joint commissions and working groups to drive investment, particularly in critical technologies, semiconductors, and sustainable mobility.
- Partnerships in the industrial sector will include both major corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fostering synergy and innovation.
- In the technological domain, the two nations aim to strengthen ties in fields such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, and critical minerals through collaborative research and academic exchanges.
- Furthermore, an Indo-Italian Innovation Exchange Programme will be launched to support start-up ecosystems, enabling cutting-edge projects in areas such as fintech, agritech, and healthcare.
Advancing defence and security cooperation. Defence cooperation features prominently in the plan, with a commitment to negotiate a Defence Industrial Roadmap and enhance maritime collaboration.
- This includes joint search-and-rescue operations and initiatives to combat maritime pollution.
- In the security domain, discussions will extend to cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, reflecting the shared commitment to global stability.
- Annual bilateral meetings will ensure coordinated efforts against transnational crime.
Shared values on the global stage. Both leaders reaffirmed their support for multilateral initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the Global Biofuels Alliance, underscoring their shared vision for sustainable development and enhanced connectivity.
- This alignment highlights the broader geopolitical aspirations of the two democracies as they navigate an increasingly complex global landscape.
