Jaishankar hails Italy as ‘one of India’s closest partners’ amid joint anti-terror financing drive
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday held bilateral talks with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, describing Italy as “one of India’s closest partners” and reaffirming the two countries’ commitment to countering terror financing.
Speaking at the meeting in New Delhi, Jaishankar thanked Italy for its support following last month’s terror incident in the capital and highlighted the progress made in strengthening security cooperation. “I want to thank you also for the message of solidarity from the government of Italy when we had this terror incident last month in New Delhi,” he said.
Both countries are actively working together to combat the financing of terrorism, leveraging their collaboration within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Jaishankar noted that during the recent G20 meeting in Johannesburg, India and Italy had announced a joint initiative to counter terror financing, calling it “a very positive step.”
The Minister also underlined the growing momentum in India-Italy ties, pointing to Tajani’s frequent visits as a sign of deepening partnership. “The fact that you come here so often is very welcome for us. It shows a very strong commitment. Our partnership is built on democratic values, respect for civilisation, culture, heritage, and our commitment to a stable, secure, and prosperous world,” Jaishankar added.
In addition to security cooperation, the talks focused on advancing the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-29. Jaishankar highlighted Tajani’s meetings with Indian industry leaders and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai, aimed at strengthening economic collaboration. “We are really moving forward on the Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-29; a big part of it was economic collaboration. I’m sure you will have very, very good discussions,” he said.
The discussions also touched upon political, defence, maritime security, space cooperation, critical technologies, cultural ties, and regional issues including developments in the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and the Ukraine conflict. “We cooperate very closely in the United Nations and other formats. I’m sure we’ll have a very good discussion,” Jaishankar said.
Tajani, who arrived in New Delhi earlier in the day for his second visit to India this year, was welcomed by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who noted that his engagements in Delhi and Mumbai would further bolster the India-Italy Strategic Partnership.
The visit follows a series of high-level exchanges between the two nations, including the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on November 23, where cooperation in trade, investment, defence, innovation, AI, space, and education was reviewed.
After concluding his engagements in Delhi, Tajani is scheduled to travel to Mumbai on Thursday for further meetings aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties.
-ANI
