Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shared a warm moment by clicking a selfie together on the sidelines of the G7 Outreach Summit held in Apulia, Italy. This gesture of camaraderie, which follows previous selfies at the G20 Summit in Delhi and COP28 in Dubai, has become popular online, with the hashtag “#Melodi” trending on social media.
During their meeting at the G7 Summit, PM Modi and PM Meloni discussed enhancing bilateral defence and security cooperation. They expressed optimism about further collaboration in the defence industry, anticipating the upcoming visits of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India. PM Modi also appreciated Italy’s recognition of the Indian Army’s contributions during the Italian Campaign in World War II, and announced plans to upgrade the Yashwant Ghadge Memorial in Montone, Italy.
The leaders reviewed the progress of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, celebrating the growing trade and economic ties between the two countries. They emphasized the importance of expanding commercial collaborations in areas such as clean energy, manufacturing, space, science and technology, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals to create resilient supply chains. The recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Property Rights was welcomed as a significant step towards cooperation in patents, designs, and trademarks.
A notable development from the meeting was the signing of a Letter of Intent for Cooperation in Energy Transition, aligning with the Global Biofuels Alliance, which aims to strengthen bilateral efforts in clean and green energy. PM Meloni congratulated PM Modi on his third consecutive term as Prime Minister, and both leaders expressed satisfaction with the new Executive Programme of Cooperation for 2025-27, which aims to promote joint research and development in science and technology.
PM Modi thanked PM Meloni for inviting India to the G7 Summit and praised the excellent arrangements. He highlighted the discussions on advancing India-Italy relations in various sectors, including commerce, energy, defence, and telecommunications, and pointed to collaborative efforts in emerging areas such as biofuels, food processing, and critical minerals.
The G7 Summit, which took place in Italy’s Apulia region, included participation from the G7 member countries—US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and France—as well as the European Union, with India being invited as an Outreach Country for the 11th time and PM Modi attending for the fifth consecutive time.
