India and Italy elevate ties to a Special Strategic Partnership during PM Modi's visit to Rome
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Italy on 19–20 May 2026, India and Italy elevated their relations to a Special Strategic Partnership and set a goal of €20 billion in bilateral trade by 2029.
Summary
India and Italy elevated their relations to a Special Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Italy on 19–20 May 2026, made at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The India-Italy Joint Declaration commits the two leaders to annual meetings and sets up a Foreign Ministers-led mechanism to review the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, which was adopted at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024. Citing the conclusion of negotiations on the EU–India Free Trade Agreement, the two sides set a goal of €20 billion in bilateral trade by 2029. Sectors flagged for investment include textiles, clean technologies, semiconductors, automotive, pharmaceuticals, critical raw materials, ports and infrastructure.
Key facts
- Visit
- Official visit to Italy, 19–20 May 2026
- New status
- Special Strategic Partnership
- Action plan
- Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 (adopted at G20 Rio, Nov 2024)
- New mechanism
- Foreign Ministers-led review of the Action Plan
- Trade target
- €20 billion by 2029
- Leaders' meetings
- Annual, including on sidelines of multilateral events
Practice MCQs 3 questions
To what level did India and Italy elevate their relations during PM Modi's visit to Italy in May 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Special Strategic Partnership
The India-Italy Joint Declaration of 20 May 2026 states that the two leaders decided to elevate relations to a Special Strategic Partnership.
Consider the following statements about the India-Italy Joint Declaration (May 2026): 1. The two sides aim to reach €20 billion in bilateral trade by 2029. 2. The Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 was adopted at the G7 Summit in Italy in June 2024. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Action Plan was adopted when the leaders met at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.
Under the May 2026 India-Italy Joint Declaration, which mechanism will review the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29?
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Correct answer: D — A Foreign Ministers-led mechanism
The leaders agreed to establish a Foreign Ministers-led mechanism to review the Action Plan and guide the Special Strategic Partnership.