The viral picture, which showed both leaders smiling was taken by Ms Meloni in Italy’s Apulia on Friday. This isn’t the first time their selfie has gained attention. Last year, a selfie of the two leaders taken at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai was widely shared online. Ms. Meloni had captioned that photo, “Good friends at COP28. #Melodi.”
PM Modi arrived in Italy early Friday at Ms Meloni’s invitation to join the G7 Outreach Summit. This is his first international trip after being re-elected for a third term.
Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Meloni discussed on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. They talked about strengthening the relationship between India and Italy.
Ms Meloni congratulated PM Modi on his third consecutive term. PM Modi thanked her for inviting him to the G7 Outreach Summit and praised the successful event.
Both leaders expressed happiness on the growing trade and economic collaboration between their countries. They emphasized expanding commercial ties in areas like clean energy, manufacturing, space, science and technology, telecom, AI, and critical minerals to build strong supply chains.
They welcomed the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Industrial Property Rights. This agreement will help in cooperation on patents, designs, and trademarks.
PM Modi and Ms Meloni also discussed enhancing bilateral defence and security cooperation. They expressed hope to further improve the defence industrial collaboration between India and Italy.
The viral selfie and the discussions for the development of both countries between PM Modi and Prime Minister Meloni highlight the strong and growing relationship between India and Italy. Their talks at the G7 Summit focused on expanding cooperation in various sectors which promises a bright future for both nations.
-Prisha Jaiswal