Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister, marking a historic milestone in his tenure. The message comes as PM Modi completed 12 years in office, surpassing former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of 4,399 days as an elected Prime Minister.
In a post on social media platform X, Meloni extended her wishes and highlighted the strengthening ties between India and Italy. She noted that it had been a pleasure to meet PM Modi in Rome in recent weeks and expressed optimism about the future of the bilateral relationship. She also reaffirmed her commitment to working closely with India to create new opportunities for citizens of both countries.
The two leaders had last met during PM Modi’s official visit to Italy in May, where he held discussions with both Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. During the visit, India and Italy elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership, signalling a deeper level of cooperation across multiple sectors.
Also Read: India Positioned As Bridge-Builder And Balancer In Contemporary Global Affairs: Report
Both sides reviewed progress under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029 and agreed to expand collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, defence and security, science and technology, space exploration, artificial intelligence, energy, and education. The discussions also emphasised strengthening people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges between the two nations.
Defence cooperation was a key highlight of the engagement, with both leaders welcoming increased interaction between defence ministries and armed forces, along with progress on industrial collaboration for co-designing and co-producing defence equipment. They also agreed to institutionalise regular high-level meetings and maintain momentum through annual leadership engagements at multilateral forums.
Beyond formal discussions, the visit also reflected a warm personal rapport between the two leaders. PM Modi attended a dinner hosted by Meloni and visited Rome’s historic Colosseum during the trip. A light-hearted exchange between the two, including a gift of “Melody” toffees from PM Modi, gained widespread attention online, adding to the popularity of the so-called “#Melodi” moment that has frequently gone viral on social media.
Also Read: From Uri To Operation Sindoor, Modi Government Shapes India’s National Security Policy