ROME, May 20 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said India and Italy will work together to further develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) while also announcing 2027 as the “Year of Culture and Tourism” between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Rome.
Addressing a joint press statement with PM Modi during the final leg of his five-nation tour, Meloni said both countries remain committed to strengthening IMEC, describing it as a major infrastructure and economic corridor linking Europe, the Middle East and India that could significantly boost trade, investment and supply chain resilience.
“We think that strengthening the interconnection between these two important areas is also extremely important. That’s the reason why we wanted to further develop IMEC, which is the infrastructure corridor, economic corridor between Europe, Middle East, and India, which was established during the G20 summit,” Meloni said.
“This initiative we strongly believe in because we think that it can unleash a wonderful potential for our trade, for our businesses, and for our relations,” she added.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, unveiled in 2023, comprises an Eastern Corridor connecting India to the Gulf region and a Northern Corridor linking the Gulf region to Europe. The project includes railway and ship-rail transit networks along with road transport connectivity.
Meloni said India and Italy share a common vision on major global challenges, including international stability, economic security, resilient supply chains, peace and inclusive development.
“Italy and India share a joint vision on many of the huge challenges of our times: international stability, protecting rules, economic security, the resilience of the value chains, the promotion of peace, and inclusive development,” she said.
Highlighting the importance of people-to-people engagement, Meloni announced that India and Italy will jointly observe 2027 as the “Year of Culture and Tourism” to deepen cultural ties and mutual understanding between the two nations.
“The strength of the relationship between two countries is not only measured by the depth of the political relationship or in terms of economic figures, but it is also indicated by the ability to bring our populations together,” she stated.
“That’s why we decided to launch the Italy-India Year of Culture and Tourism for 2027, which is a unique opportunity to have our century-old cultures develop a dialogue and make them more and more connected,” she added.
The Italian Prime Minister also pointed to the strategic convergence between the two countries, describing India and Italy as two peninsulas positioned in key geopolitical regions — the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific.
“We have another feature in common: we are two peninsulas, two logistic platforms projecting into crucial areas of the world — the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific,” Meloni said.
She added that both leaders discussed ongoing geopolitical crises, including the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, reiterating support for diplomacy and lasting peace.
On maritime security, Meloni stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region and said both nations support a “free, open and inclusive” Indo-Pacific order.
“It is extremely important to have freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific sector, where we share the same vision of a free, inclusive and open Indo-Pacific,” she said.
Meloni added that India and Italy would continue working together on connectivity, stability and multilateral cooperation to address emerging global challenges.
PM Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday during the final leg of his five-nation tour following visits to the Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and United Arab Emirates. (ANI)
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