Rome [Italy], May 20 (HBTV): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in Rome for the final leg of his five-nation tour.
Sharing a picture with PM Modi on X, Meloni wrote, ‘Welcome to Rome, my friend!’
Meloni also shared an earlier photograph of the two leaders at the Colosseum in Italy.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon arriving in Rome. The Prime Minister interacted with members of the Indian community and witnessed cultural performances at his hotel. He also signed an autograph for a child who greeted him with a portrait.
Among those who met the Prime Minister was Svamini Shuddhananda Ghiri, who said she was meeting PM Modi for the second time after 2021. She added that the Sanatana Dharma Samgha had been recognised as an official religion in Italy by the Italian Parliament.
‘I am very happy and this is the second time we met him. We met him in 2021 and he also continued to sustain and to foster our mission... Sanatana Dharma Samgha is recognised as an official religion here in Italy by the Italian Parliament,’ she told ANI.
A member of the Indian diaspora also expressed happiness after meeting the Prime Minister.
‘We are very much delighted with the way he came and addressed us and we are very happy and it is the first time we got the chance to meet him. It is a very special moment for us and he has conveyed the message of oneness and togetherness,’ he told ANI.
PM Modi also viewed a painting depicting the ghats of Varanasi, created by an Italian artist inspired by Indian culture.
‘The experience was fantastic. It was one of the best experiences of my life. He was very kind, he shook my hand and asked how long it took me to create this painting. For me, this painting is a bridge between the eyes of an Italian artist and the colourful culture of India. This is the holy town of Varanasi. I love India, and my art is greatly influenced by Indian culture,’ the painter told ANI.
An artist who performed to welcome the Prime Minister also shared excitement following the interaction.
‘I have stayed in India for 15 years... I am feeling very good after performing to welcome PM Modi,’ she said.
Another artist said the group performed a traditional musical composition based on Raga Hamsadhwani for the Prime Minister.
‘We played the traditional tune based on Raga Hamsadhwani and we made a composition together with all the musicians, creating this piece together for the Prime Minister of India. I feel full of energy and motivated to spread more of the Indian values and the Indian arts in Italy and all over Europe,’ the artist told ANI.
PM Modi’s Italy visit comes amid growing momentum in India-Italy relations, with both countries advancing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029. The framework covers cooperation in trade, investment, defence and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Trade between the two countries reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative foreign direct investment stood at USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025.
Before arriving in Italy, PM Modi visited Norway during the fourth leg of his five-nation tour. He had earlier travelled to Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates.
(ANI)