Ending the chill in the bilateral relationship in the past few years, in what Foreign Secretary Vinay M. Kwatra described as “legacy issues” now behind, India and Italy on Thursday announced the elevation of the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership while also concluding a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation.
“Today, we are announcing the establishment of a ‘Startup Bridge’ between India and Italy. Another important area of our mutual cooperation is defence. We have also decided to organise the joint military exercises and training courses on a regular basis,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a joint press statement after bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Welcoming Italy’s active participation in the Indo-Pacific, Mr. Modi said Italy had decided to join the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI). “This will enable us to identify concrete themes for enhancing our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” he stated
The two countries also concluded a Declaration of Intent (DOI) on migration and mobility.
Delivering the inaugural address of the 8th Raisina Dialogue organised by Observer Research Foundation jointly with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ms. Meloni said global interconnection has enabled our economies to grow and flourish but it comes at a cost especially in times of turbulence in international community.
On the war in Ukraine, she said it is a violation of the fundamental principle of global order that enables the international community to thrive.
“Russian attack is not simply an act of war or a localised act. It’s an act against territorial integrity of a sovereign nation in violation of the fundamental principle of the global order that enables the international community to thrive,” Ms. Meloni said.
