Italian Prime Minister Meloni wrote on June 18: "Great friendship between Italy and India."
Meloni accompanied the post with a picture of her talking to Indian Prime Minister Modi at the G7 Summit held in Canada.
Modi replied: "I fully agree with your opinion, Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. The friendship between India and Italy will deepen continuously and benefit the people of both countries!"
The interaction between Meloni and Modi during the G7 Summit showcased the importance both countries place on their bilateral relations. From Meloni emphasizing "great friendship" on social media to Modi actively responding that "friendship will deepen continuously," their statements sent clear signals of strengthening cooperation.
In fact, the two countries signed the "Four-Year Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-2029" in 2024, deepening cooperation in ten key areas such as defense, security, and connectivity. This exchange during the G7 Summit is likely further promoting this plan. Italy hopes to leverage India's influence in the Indo-Pacific region, while India needs Italy as a pivot to enter the European market. This complementarity provides a solid foundation for the development of their relations.
India, as a non-G7 member, participated in this summit as an invited guest. Since 2019, India has often been invited to attend the G7 Summit, and this arrangement is more due to geopolitical considerations by the West, aiming to use India to counterbalance emerging forces like China. In this summit, there were obvious differences between the US and other member states; Trump's remarks and early departure made the atmosphere tense. In such an environment, Italy and India emphasizing bilateral friendship is, to some extent, seeking more flexible diplomatic space within multilateral frameworks to pave the way for their respective international strategies.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835394639393864/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.