PM Modi Receives Military Guard of Honour in Rome as India-Italy Ties Deepen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial military guard of honour in Rome on Wednesday during the final leg of his multi-nation diplomatic tour across Europe and the Middle East. The official welcome ceremony was attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and marked another step in the growing strategic partnership between India and Italy, with both countries focusing on strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, energy, and technology.

During the visit, Modi and Meloni held high-level discussions on the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025–2029, which aims to significantly expand bilateral engagement across key sectors. Officials from both nations discussed measures to boost trade, deepen defense collaboration, and accelerate partnerships in clean energy and advanced manufacturing. India and Italy are also seeking to increase bilateral trade volumes, which currently stand at approximately USD 16.77 billion, with an ambitious target of reaching 20 billion euros by 2029.

Apart from official meetings with Meloni, Modi is also scheduled to hold discussions with Italian President Sergio Mattarella during his stay in Rome. The visit included several symbolic moments that gained traction online, including a widely shared candid photograph of Modi and Meloni near the historic Colosseum. The two leaders have increasingly attracted global attention for their warm diplomatic interactions during multilateral summits and bilateral engagements.

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Modi also received a warm welcome from members of the Indian community in Rome upon his arrival. Cultural performances and greetings by members of the diaspora highlighted the significance of the visit for Indians living abroad. The Prime Minister’s trip to Italy forms part of a broader diplomatic outreach programme aimed at enhancing India’s economic and geopolitical partnerships amid ongoing global uncertainty and shifting international supply chain dynamics.

The broader five-nation tour, conducted from May 15 to May 20, included visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates. The tour focused heavily on securing strategic partnerships in areas such as technology, semiconductor manufacturing, energy security, and resilient global supply chains. During the UAE leg of the visit, India also secured agreements related to long-term LPG supplies and expanded crude oil storage cooperation with ADNOC.

In another major development linked to the diplomatic tour, Tata Electronics and Dutch technology giant ASML reportedly finalised an agreement to supply advanced lithography equipment for a semiconductor fabrication facility being developed in Dholera, Gujarat. The deal reflects India’s increasing push to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities while building closer ties with global technology leaders.

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