New Delhi [India], April 10 (HBTV): Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, will be on a two-day official visit to India from April 11 to 12. He is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on April 11 and will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

During his visit, he will also hold discussions with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, according to a media advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Tajani is expected to call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 12 before departing from New Delhi.

Earlier in February, India and Italy held discussions in New Delhi to enhance collaboration in key sectors such as agriculture, defence, space, infrastructure, and transport. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and Antonio Bartoli, the Italian Ambassador to India, to explore avenues for boosting bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in these critical areas.

Taking to social media platform X, Goyal described the meeting as ‘productive’ and reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to deepening economic ties.

‘Held a productive meeting with H.E. Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy, and H.E. Antonio Bartoli, Ambassador of Italy to India. Discussed enhancing bilateral trade ties and strengthening collaboration in key areas like agriculture, defence, space, infrastructure & transport,’ Goyal posted.

Diplomatic relations between India and Italy were established in 1947. The two countries share a strong people-to-people connection, supported by a large Indian diaspora and a longstanding tradition of Indological studies in Italy. India and Italy marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2023, according to the Indian Embassy in Italy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Italy on June 14 last year to participate in the G7 Summit in Puglia. According to the Indian Embassy in Italy, PM Modi's bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni during the summit reaffirmed the continuity of high-level dialogue.

Both leaders agreed to broaden cooperation in various domains, including defence and security, science and technology, space, clean energy, and migration and mobility linkages. A Letter of Intent for cooperation in energy transition and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on industrial property rights were signed during the visit. An ICCR chair at the University of Milan was also announced.

(ANI)