External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday arrived in Italy from Portugal in the second leg of his four-day visit to two key European countries and held a meeting with Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
Taking to X, Jaishankar said that he focused on taking forward the renewed defence and security partnership between India and Italy and that he appreciated the latter's suggestions for defence industry cooperation.
Jaishankar began his visit to Rome with a Senate interaction on the deepening partnership between the two sides.
"Began the Italy visit with a Senate interaction on our deepening partnership. Thank Sen. Giulio Terzi & Sen. Roberto Menia for co-chairing. Appreciated the warm sentiments for India across party lines," he said in another post on X.
Jaishankar will also meet his counterpart Antonio Tajani. He will also address the Joint Session of the Senate’s External Affairs and Defence Commission, and EU Affairs Commission and the India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group, and meet the members of the Indian community.
The relationship between the two countries was elevated to 'Strategic Partnership' during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to New Delhi in March.
Jaishankar's Portugal visit
On the last day of his Portugal visit, the external affairs minister highlighted the need for direct air connectivity between India and Portugal to expand bilateral exchanges, and addressed the Indian diaspora there.
During his address in the presence of his Portuguese counterpart Joao Gomes Cravinho, Jaishankar said that he highlighted the contribution of Portugal towards closer ties between India and the European Union (EU) and also shared the transformation underway in India.
“Highlighted Portugal’s contribution in promoting closer India-EU ties. The Porto 2021 Summit is a milestone. Recognised the relevance of the Migration and Mobility Partnership in a Global workplace,” he said.
On Tuesday, Jaishankar discussed “contemporary challenges” and the further development of bilateral ties with Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
“We see a lot of new energy and activities across several sectors. Trade and investment is clearly a strong driving force. Indian companies like Indian IT companies, especially, have made their mark in Portugal,” Jaishankar said as part of the joint press statement with Portugal’s foreign minister on Tuesday.
(with PTI inputs)
