India-Italy ties enter new phase, Innovation Centre in works: PM Modi

PM Modi announced that India and Italy are working on an Innovation Centre to boost cooperation in AI, quantum, and space. He highlighted expanding defence, security, and maritime ties during his meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Rome.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Italy are working on setting up an Innovation Centre to connect industries, startups and research ecosystems of both countries, as technology and innovation emerge as the core drivers of bilateral cooperation.

Addressing a joint press meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Prime Minister Modi said that India-Italy ties are entering a new phase where advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, and civil nuclear energy will play a central role. "Technology and innovation are the engines of our partnership. There are immense possibilities for our cooperation in fields like AI, quantum, space, and civil nuclear energy. To connect the startups, research centres, and industries of both countries, we are working on an India-Italy Innovation Centre," PM Modi said.

Expanding Defence and Security Cooperation

He said cooperation between the two countries is expanding rapidly in defence and security, underlining that mutual trust between India and Italy is reflected in growing collaboration between armed forces and defence industries.

Prime Minister Modi noted that the Defence Industrial Roadmap between the two countries has opened avenues for co-development and co-production, strengthening industrial partnerships in the defence sector. "Close cooperation in the fields of defence and security is a symbol of our deep mutual trust. Along with our armed forces, cooperation is also increasing between the defence industries of both countries. Our Defence Industrial Roadmap has paved the way for co-development and co-production," he said.

Maritime Cooperation and Global Partnership

Highlighting maritime cooperation, the Prime Minister said that as two major maritime powers, India and Italy naturally share strong convergence in areas such as shipping, port modernisation, logistics and the blue economy.

He further said both sides discussed expanding their partnership into third countries, including collaborative projects in Africa, aimed at promoting sustainable development and shared economic growth. "As maritime powers, close cooperation in the field of connectivity between India and Italy is natural. Together, we will work on shipping, port modernisation, logistics, and the Blue Economy. We also discussed taking our win-win partnership to third countries. Moving in this direction, we agreed to work on concrete projects in Africa", he added.

The remarks come following his delegation-level talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday in the last leg of his five-nation tour following his engagements in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. (ANI)

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