Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Melody candy to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. PM Meloni posted the video on Instagram, saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought me a very nice candy as a gift – Melody. Thank you for the gift.”
Thank you for the gift pic.twitter.com/7ePxbJwPbA
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 20, 2026PM Modi arrived in Italy on Tuesday, the final leg of his five-nation tour. He was welcomed by PM Meloni. The two traveled through the streets of Rome in the same car and visited the nearly 2,000-year-old Colosseum.
Earlier, the two leaders had dinner together and had informal discussions on several important issues. Meloni shared a selfie with Modi, writing, “Welcome my friend.” Photos of the two leaders are rapidly going viral on social media.
PM Modi posted a photo of the meeting with Meloni on Twitter and wrote that the formal talks to be held today will continue discussions on further strengthening the India-Italy friendship. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, investment, advanced technology, and global issues.
Discussion on special strategic partnership
During Modi’s visit, India and Italy are expected to discuss elevating their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership. The two countries are also considering resuming regular annual meetings in the future.
Political and economic relations between India and Italy have grown rapidly in recent years. The two countries are steadily expanding cooperation in the areas of defense, energy, trade, science, and new technologies.
According to media reports, discussions are expected during this visit to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Currently, trade between India and Italy is worth over 14 billion euros, or ₹1.60 lakh crore. Both countries are working to increase investment in manufacturing, automobiles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, defense, and green energy sectors.
PM Modi to meet Italian industrialists
PM Modi will also meet with prominent Italian industrialists and business leaders. Investment, manufacturing, and new industrial partnerships in India are likely to be discussed at this meeting.
Modi last visited Italy in June 2024. At that time, he participated in the G-7 summit held in the Apulia region of Italy.
Modi visited the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway during his foreign tour, which began on May 15. Italy is the last stop on this trip.
The focus will be on the IMEC corridor
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will be a major focus of Modi’s visit to Italy. India and Italy will discuss advancing this project and strengthening trade connectivity.
IMEC is a major strategic and economic project aimed at connecting India with Europe through the Arab Gulf countries.
The project was launched in 2023. Several countries, including India, the European Union, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, and Italy, signed an agreement for this project.
IMEC will integrate railways, ports, shipping networks, energy connectivity, and digital infrastructure.
This corridor is also being seen as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is believed to speed up the movement of goods between India and Europe and reduce logistics costs.
This project could play a significant role in strengthening the supply chain and enhancing energy and trade security.
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Edited by: Bhoomi Goyal
