New Delhi: India and Italy took an important step toward strengthening their partnership by launching a new joint initiative to counter the financing of terrorism, on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, where the two leaders discussed strengthening the cooperation in key areas like trade, defence, security and technology.
Both countries adopted the “India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism”, which highlights their shared commitment to fighting terrorism. After the meeting, PM Modi wrote on social media that India’s strategic partnership with Italy is “growing from strength to strength” and benefitting people in both nations. He said the new initiative comes at the right time and necessary to strengthen global efforts against terrorism.
Prime Minister Meloni expressed solidarity with India regarding the recent terror attack in Delhi. She also assured that Italy will fully committ to work closely with India to counter terrorism.
During their talks, the two leaders reviewed progress across various sectors. They spoke about expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence manufacturing, innovation, artificial intelligence, space research and education. Modi and Meloni also took note of the steady progress under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–29, which aims to boost economic opportunities and people-to-people ties.
Prime Minister Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s support for a fair India-EU Free Trade Agreement and expressed confidence in India’s AI Impact Summit in 2026. Both leaders said they look forward to continuing their partnership at global platforms to uphold shared values like democracy, rule of law and sustainable development.
The leaders welcomed the two Business Fora organised in New Delhi and Brescia this year, which saw strong participation from industry on both sides. They also appreciated the recent visit of an Italian space delegation to India, saying it would open new doors for collaboration in both government and private sectors.