Rome/New Delhi, May 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday evening (local time) as part of the final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour, with India and Italy expected to deepen cooperation across strategic sectors including trade, defence, clean energy, technology and innovation.

During his visit to the Italian capital, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and meet President Sergio Mattarella. The meetings are expected to focus on strengthening the rapidly expanding India-Italy strategic partnership amid evolving geopolitical and economic challenges.

The visit comes at a time when bilateral ties between the two countries are witnessing strong momentum under the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, which aims to significantly enhance cooperation in areas such as economic engagement, advanced manufacturing, defence production, renewable energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, mobility and scientific research.

According to official figures, bilateral trade between India and Italy reached approximately USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative Italian foreign direct investment in India stood at nearly USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025. Both countries are also exploring greater collaboration in clean technologies, resilient supply chains and critical infrastructure development.

Prime Minister Modi’s Rome visit follows his engagements in Oslo, where he participated in the Third India-Nordic Summit alongside the leaders of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. The summit focused on expanding cooperation in green technology, climate action, Arctic research, maritime partnerships, innovation, digital connectivity and emerging technologies.

India and the Nordic nations also elevated their engagement to a “Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership,” reaffirming their commitment to sustainable development, democratic values and future-oriented economic cooperation.

During his stay in Norway, Prime Minister Modi held several bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening India’s strategic engagement with Nordic countries and enhancing collaboration in sectors such as renewable energy, clean mobility, critical minerals and next-generation technologies.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Prime Minister’s Nordic engagements marked a significant advancement in India’s partnerships across Northern Europe and reflected New Delhi’s broader diplomatic outreach toward technologically advanced and sustainability-focused economies.

Italy marks the concluding stop of Prime Minister Modi’s extensive five-country tour, which also included visits to the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. The multi-nation visit has focused on strengthening economic partnerships, strategic cooperation, investment ties and global coordination on emerging international challenges.

Officials indicated that the discussions in Rome are expected to further consolidate India’s engagement with Europe at a time of increasing global geopolitical realignments and expanding economic cooperation between India and European nations.

Prime Minister Modi is expected to return to India on Wednesday following the completion of his engagements in Italy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar