Jaishankar calls on Italian President Mattarella, discusses ways to advance strategic partnership

PTI, Nov 4, 2023, 11:07 AM IST

Rome: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met Italian President Sergio Mattarella and other senior leaders here and discussed ways to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership in areas like defence, cyber security and counter-terrorism.

Jaishankar, who was in Rome at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, concluded his four-day visit to Portugal and Italy on Friday.

During their meeting, the Italian president reiterated his strong support for advancing bilateral ties and deepening India-Italy and India-EU linkages, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said in a Saturday press release.

Taking to social media site X on Friday, Jaishankar said, “Valued his (Mattarella) guidance for the further development of our strategic partnership. In a volatile and uncertain world, the India-Italy relationship is a factor of stability.”

The minister also held a meeting with the Italian Defence Minister, Guido Crosetto, which focused on deepening strategic cooperation, including industrial collaboration in defence manufacturing and areas of counter-terrorism, cyber security and maritime domain, the release said.

The minister’s Italy visit further consolidated the long-standing historical ties between the two countries and pushed bilateral cooperation in diverse areas of the Strategic Partnership, including on contemporary global issues and challenges, the press release said.

He also met the Italian Minister of Enterprise, Adolfo Urso, discussing ways to promote bilateral trade and investment, with a focus on areas of agro-tech, engineering, digital infrastructure, innovation and space.

“An insightful conversation this morning with the Minister of Enterprise @adolfo_urso. Exchanged the experiences of Made in Italy and Made in India. Confident that our discussion today will expand the scope of our economic partnership,” he said in a post on X.

Earlier, Jaishankar held a comprehensive and productive meeting with his counterpart Tajani and signed two agreements on the Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement and Executive Programme on Cultural Cooperation to enable the seamless movement of workers, students and professionals between the two countries.

He also addressed the Joint Session of the Senate’s External Affairs and Defence Commission, where the two leaders spoke about the West Asia situation, the Ukraine conflict and the Indo-Pacific landscape in detail.

India’s successful G20 Presidency, Italy’s upcoming G7 Presidency, India-EU relations, Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific, the conflict in Ukraine, and the situation in West Asia were also discussed during the session.

Jaishankar also appreciated Italy’s support for all major international initiatives of India, reflecting a growing convergence of views on critical global issues.

“Appreciated Italy’s support for our initiatives and also for the G20 Presidency,” he said in an X post.