India, Italy unveil new joint action plan with focus on connectivity, defence
The action plan was unveiled following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
India and Italy will enhance collaboration on maritime infrastructure for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and negotiate a defence industrial roadmap under a new Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-29.
The action plan was unveiled following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The action plan focuses on joint initiatives in key areas such as connectivity, defence, trade, new and emerging technologies, and clean energy.
Modi said on X that his talks with Meloni centred around deepening ties in defence, security, trade, and technology. “We also talked about how to boost cooperation in culture, education, and other such areas. India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet,” he said.
Meloni said in a separate post on X that the action plan reaffirms the commitment of both sides to advance the bilateral strategic partnership. “Together we expressed our desire to continue working together to further deepen our bilateral partnership for the benefit of the economies and citizens of both nations, and in support of the shared values of democracy, rule of law and sustainable development,” she said.
According to the action plan, the two sides will foster cooperation on sustainable transport in the context of environmental sustainability, enhance collaboration in maritime and land infrastructure, including within the framework of the IMEEC, and conclude an agreement on cooperation in the maritime and port sectors.
In the realm of defence cooperation, the two sides will negotiate a defence industrial roadmap between the two defence ministries and promote a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and the Italian Industries Federation for Aerospace, Defence and Security.
They will promote interactions between their armed forces “in the framework of Italy’s growing interest in the Indo-Pacific” to increase interoperability and cooperation. They will also explore avenues of enhanced partnerships among public and private stakeholders for the co-development and co-production of defence platforms.
They will enhance maritime cooperation, including in maritime pollution response and maritime search and rescue, according to the action plan.
The action plan envisages steps to bolster security cooperation, including regular exchanges in areas such as cyber-security and cyber-crimes and consultations on cooperation at multilateral forums.
They will continue holding yearly meetings of the joint working group on combating international terrorism and strengthening cooperation in the fight against terror at bilateral, regional, and international forums.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in judicial matters and between police and security personnel, share information in the fight against terrorism, and agree to mutual protection and exchange of classified information.
In the field of migration and mobility, the two sides will promote safe and legal migration channels and transparent labour recruitment procedures, while enhancing cooperation to counter irregular migration. A pilot project will cover the training of health professionals in India and their subsequent employment in Italy.
Modi and Meloni followed up on their discussions at their last meeting on the margins of the G7 Summit in Puglia in June and agreed on holding regular ministerial and official dialogues across numerous domains. They said co-production between industries and institutions, innovation, and mobility will provide momentum and depth to the bilateral partnership.
The two leaders also agreed to continue working together to implement strategic plurilateral initiatives such as the Global Biofuels Alliance and the IMEEC, of which they are founding members.