Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, in a joint op-ed across several news platforms on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), outlined an expanded roadmap for cooperation between the two countries across sectors, including trade, technology, energy, space, and security, against the backdrop of an emerging “Indo-Mediterranean” corridor.

“The relationship between India and Italy has now reached a decisive stage. In recent years, our ties have expanded with unprecedented momentum, evolving from a cordial friendship into a special strategic partnership grounded in the values of freedom and democracy, and a common vision for the future,” said Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni in the op-ed titled “A Strategic Partnership for the Indo-Mediterranean”.

“Both India and Italy are located at the very heart of two crucial hubs of the global economy—the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean—regions that cannot be viewed as separate spheres, but instead as increasingly interconnected spaces,” it said.

“As a matter of fact, we are witnessing the emergence of what might be termed the Indo-Mediterranean, an important corridor for trade, technology, energy, data and ideas tying the Indian Ocean to Europe. It is precisely within this interconnected space that our bond naturally evolves into a special strategic partnership—one that bridges two continents and shapes new global dynamics,” said the op-ed.

In this context, it added, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) represents a vision aimed at connecting the regions through modern transport and infrastructure, digital networks, energy systems, and resilient supply chains; and that India and Italy are also committed to working together with other partners to make this vision a reality. In September 2023, the IMEC was announced on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Delhi.

“Our cooperation mirrors our shared awareness that prosperity and security in the 21st century will be shaped by the ability of nations to innovate, manage energy transitions, and strengthen strategic sovereignty. To this end, we have committed to deepen and diversify our bilateral relationship with a view to pursuing new objectives and pooling our complementary strengths,” said Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni.

Stating that India and Italy want to reach and exceed the €20-billion bilateral trade target by 2029, the leaders said the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India paves the way in the same direction. In focus are defence & aerospace, clean technologies, machinery, automotive components, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agri-food, tourism and other sectors.

“We aim to forge a powerful synergy between Italian design, manufacturing excellence, and world-class supercomputers—reflecting Italy’s position as an industrial powerhouse—and India’s rapid economic growth, engineering talent, scale, and innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem with over 100 unicorns and 200,000 start-ups,” said the op-ed, adding that it would lead to co-creation of value.

“The growing interest of Italian businesses in the production for India and the increasing presence of Indian industries in Italy—numbering over 1,000 from both sides now—is a positive sign that will strengthen the integration of our supply chains,” it said.

The op-ed also highlighted cooperation in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI).

“India’s Digital Public Infrastructure is already finding resonance with a large number of countries, particularly in the Global South…Italy and India have long been collaborating to ensure that AI development is responsible and human-centred,” it said, emphasising that both countries see AI as a powerful instrument for inclusive development, particularly for the Global South.

“Our approach combines India’s digital scale with Italy’s ethical and industrial expertise, ensuring technology serves human dignity. By sharing best practices in secure digital cooperation, capacity-building and resilient cyber infrastructure, we aim to create an open, trustworthy and equitable digital space in which every nation can shape and benefit from AI,” said Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni.

They said the perspective forms the core of Italy’s G7 Presidency and outcomes of the AI Impact Summit 2026, held in Delhi.

Technology cannot replace individuals or undermine their fundamental rights, nor should it be used to manipulate public debate or alter democratic processes, the leaders said.

The op-ed highlighted collaborations in the fields of space, defence, security and strategic technologies, including security of critical maritime routes, renewable energy, hydrogen technologies, smart grids and resilient infrastructure. “Our collaboration along with other countries in key India-led initiatives—International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Global Biofuels Alliance—is also important in this context,” said the op-ed.

The leaders said India’s values—such as “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family)—find a natural echo in Italy’s humanist tradition, rooted in the Renaissance, which highlights the dignity of each individual and the power of culture to unite peoples and societies.

Published – May 20, 2026 12:32 am IST

New Delhi:

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has defended her friendship with billionaire Elon Musk. During her address in a parliamentary session ahead of this week’s European Union summit in Brussels, Ms Meloni insisted that he has independence and will not be influenced in areas where Mr Musk’s sprawling economic empire has interests.

“I can be a friend of Elon Musk and at the same time the head of the first Italian government that made a new law to regulate private activity in space,” Ms Meloni said, adding that she had “good relationships “with many people” but “I don’t take orders from anyone.”

Ms Meloni, whose far-right coalition took power in 2022, has held frequent meetings with Mr Musk, aiming to attract investments into Italy’s economy. The Italian government has also made strides in fostering a space sector, approving a framework earlier this year that paves the way for foreign space companies, like Musk’s SpaceX, to operate within Italy.

This framework could generate an estimated $7.3 billion in investments by 2026. Ms Meloni said past Italian prime ministers “who thought they had a good relationship, even a friendship, with a foreign leader, they had to slavishly follow what the others did.”

A photo of Ms Meloni and Mr Musk at an event in September had gone viral, prompting social media users to ask if the two were “dating”. At the New York event, Mr Musk also praised Meloni, calling her “authentic, honest and truthful”.

Argentinian President Javier Milei recently gifted Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni a chainsaw-wielding figurine of himself, Politico reported. Ms Meloni visited the Argentine Republic earlier this week. During her visit, she met with Javier Milei at Casa Rosada, where he presented the Italian PM with the bizarre gift. A photo of the odd gift has since surfaced online. It shows the two leaders standing side-by-side, with Ms Meloni holding the figurine. Notably, according to Politico, Mr Milei took up an actual chainsaw as a rally prop during his 2023 presidential campaign, promising to slash the size of the state. 

Take a look at the picture below: 

Javier Milei, president of Argentina, gave the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, a figurine of himself with a chainsaw.

What was Meloni thinking in this picture?

“ma che cosa faScio io con questo cazzo? pic.twitter.com/DrM87mZPPv

— Larissa Avelar (@avelarlarissah) November 22, 2024

Ms Meloni’s visit to Buenos Aires marked her first bilateral visit to Latin America since her government took office. “This was not a random choice. I chose to come to Buenos Aires because, as President Milei also rightly pointed out, the Italian people and the Argentine people have a fraternal bond,” she said in a statement. 

“With this visit, I clearly also wanted to reciprocate the special attention that President Milei paid to Italy. It is a pleasure to recall that Rome was the first European capital President Milei chose to visit after being elected,” Ms Meloni added. 

During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders shared a desire to work together on many issues, including the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and also the crisis in Venezuela. 

“President Milei and I are clearly aligned politically; a political alignment between two leaders who fight to defend the West’s identity and the cornerstones of its civilisation, freedom and equality among people, democratic systems and the sovereignty of nations,” Ms Meloni said. 

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Meanwhile, according to BBC, Mr Milei met US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida earlier this month. The right-wing leader became the first foreign leader to meet Mr Trump since his US presidential election victory on November 5. At a gala at Mar-a-Lago resort, Mr Milei congratulated the president-elect and said it proved “that the forces of heaven (were) on our side”.

Notably, Mr Milei reportedly credits himself as the inspiration behind Mr Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a government-slashing task force to be jointly headed by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk. He has called Mr Musk a “hero in the history of humanity,” and recently also advised him to “push it to the limit” with DOGE. 

Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will host a call of Group of Seven (G7) leaders later on Wednesday (October 1, 2024) to discuss the crisis in the Middle East, her office said.

“Italy will continue to strive for a diplomatic solution, including in its capacity as chair of the G7. I have convened a leaders’ level meeting for this afternoon,” Ms. Meloni was quoted as telling her cabinet.

Follow Israel-Iran war LIVE updates on October 1

Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7 — the club of major Western democracies, which comprises the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Ms. Meloni told her ministers that there was “deep concern” about latest developments, including Iran’s missile attack against Israel and the instability in Lebanon, her office said.

“The goal is the stabilization of the Israeli-Lebanese border through the full implementation of Resolution 1701,” she was quoted as saying, referring to the U.N. resolution which halted the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war in south Lebanon.

Also Read | How Israel took the war to the ‘axis of resistance’, triggering Iran’s response 

“In this framework, Italy has called on the U.N. Security Council to consider strengthening the mandate of the UNIFIL mission in order to ensure the security of the Israel-Lebanon border,” she said.

Italy is a major contributor to the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Italian media reported on Wednesday that the government was considering pulling its forces out of the area given the recent border violence.

Rome:

Asylum seekers in Italy will have to pay 4,938 euros ($5,259) to avoid detention while their request for protection is being processed, the government said on Friday, in a measure apparently aimed at deterring migrants.

Facing a surge in new arrivals, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition announced this week that it would increase the number of detention centres around the country to hold migrants ahead of their possible repatriation.

It also said that it would increase the amount of time people could be detained to 18 months from three months.

At present migrants to Italy who apply for asylum are free to move within the country while their application is reviewed, but the government decree published on Friday said they would have to pay a type of bail to stave off the threat of detention.

Human rights groups attacked the move.

“It is ridiculous. Who has got 5,000 euros?” said Anna Brambilla, a lawyer and member of the Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI) that focuses on migrant rights.

“They are looking to make detention for migrants the norm, but it is hard to see how they can do that,” she told Reuters.

At present, there are 10 repatriation centres in Italy, which have a current capacity of just 619. Meloni has said she wants to at least double the number, and place one in each of the country’s 20 regions.

However, many regional presidents and town mayors from across the political spectrum have said they do not want to host new centres and questioned the efficiency of a mass lock-up.

“We are talking about emptying the sea with a bucket,” said Luca Zaia, the head of the northern Veneto region and a senior member of the coalition League party, traditionally anti-migrant.

MIGRANT NUMBERS RISING

Latest interior ministry data says 132,867 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year against 69,498 in the same period of 2022.

Italy does not have repatriation deals with many of the nations where the migrants come from, meaning it cannot deport them even if it wants to. Highlighting the problem, Rome deported just 3,916 foreigners in 2022.

Italian officials say the vast majority of people coming ashore in boats from north Africa are economic migrants looking for a better life in Europe and not eligible for asylum.

In 2022 Italy reviewed 52,625 asylum requests, rejecting 53.5% of them, according to official data. The government this year tightened the rules, scrapping “special protection” residency permits that were offered to migrants who did not qualify for asylum, but who faced humanitarian risks back home.

Some 10,865 of these permits were granted in 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)