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Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni speaks with PM Modi, discusses situation in Ukraine
Italy’s Meloni was the latest in a string of European leaders to reach out to PM Modi amid efforts to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday discussed efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, with India reiterating its support for efforts to stop the hostilities.
Bilateral relations and negotiations for the India-European Union (EU) free trade agreement (FTA) also figured in the phone conversation. Meloni was the latest in a string of European leaders to reach out to Modi amid efforts to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“Had an excellent conversation with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We reaffirmed our joint commitment to deepen India-Italy Strategic Partnership, and shared interest in bringing an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” Modi said on social media.
PM Modi also thanked Meloni for “Italy’s proactive support for concluding a mutually beneficial India-EU trade agreement and promoting connectivity through the IMEEEC initiative”.
The leaders discussed regional and global issues and “agreed on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine”, the external affairs ministry said. Modi reiterated India’s “full support for efforts in this direction”.
The leaders reviewed the bilateral strategic partnership, including cooperation in investment, defence, security, counter-terrorism, space, science and technology, education and people-to-people ties.
The two sides have forged a joint strategic action plan for 2025-29 for deepening their strategic partnership.
Meloni reiterated Italy’s strong support for a mutually beneficial India-EU FTA at the earliest and the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026, the ministry said.
The leaders agreed to take steps to promote connectivity under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEEC) initiative, the ministry said without providing further details.
The phone conversation with Meloni came days after French President Emmanuel Macron briefed Modi on Saturday about an initiative by the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” to end the war in Ukraine.
Macron spoke to Modi after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders of the coalition in Paris, where 26 countries said they were willing to provide troops or other military assistance to Ukraine once the fighting ends as part of an effort to guarantee the nation’s security. Italy is part of the coalition but Meloni has made it clear she will not send troops to Ukraine.
European leaders have reached out to India to use its relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek an end to the fighting in Ukraine. India is among the few countries to be in touch with both Putin and Zelenskyy.
Last week, European Council President António Costa and Von der Leyen spoke to Modi to help in persuading Russia to end the war. “India has an important role to play in bringing Russia to end its war of aggression and helping create a path towards peace,” Costa and Von der Leyen said on social media.
