Good afternoon everyone.
I must begin by thanking Prime Minister Modi and the entire nation for the wonderful welcome we have received on our visit, testifying not only to India’s world-famous hospitality but also to the deep friendship between our two nations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and India, and we are determined to further develop and enhance them, as can also be seen by the fact that this is my first bilateral visit to the region since the Government came to office. We have indeed decided to upgrade our relations to the level of ‘strategic partnership’, because they are extremely solid.
I am thinking, for example, about our excellent trade cooperation. It is worth remembering that trade between Italy and India has reached the record amount of almost EUR 15 billion; in just two years, we have more than doubled our trade volumes, yet we are both convinced we can do more.
We also think that a number of past issues being resolved, such as direct flights recommencing between Italy and India, can further boost trade and investment. Ours is a strategic choice because, as you know, the Italian Government has decided to go back to making Italy very active in the Mediterranean, and, of course, when we talk about the wider Mediterranean, we must consider that it extends all the way to here. The Mediterranean Sea and the Indo-Pacific are interconnected, and we want to strengthen that interconnection more and more.
There are many similarities between Italy and India. We are both peninsulas, both our cultures date back millennia and we are relatively young nations; we are nations that fought for their independence, for their freedom and I believe there are also many elements of affinity regarding our vision and the value we attribute to protecting our identity and uniqueness, as a basic condition also for defending the rights of our people. There is therefore a lot to work on together, starting with a number of sectors in which we want to strengthen our cooperation.
I am thinking of defence, as Prime Minister Modi rightfully mentioned; I am thinking of energy security. India has set itself significant objectives in this regard, and its desire to work so hard on the issue of renewable energy production, for example, is a strategic choice that I consider to be particularly intelligent and is also something on which we can certainly collaborate. This is one of the many elements on which there is full agreement.
There is the issue of the digital transition. From this point of view, we are also working on very important projects that connect our two nations. Then there are the subjects of emerging technologies, cybersecurity, space. We want to collaborate on such strategic matters, and we really believe we can still do much more.
From this point of view, as Prime Minister Modi mentioned, we have chosen to announce Italy’s joining the Indo Pacific Ocean Initiative, because we believe that, in an international context that must be based on rules and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, it is essential to have stability and the vision of an open Indo-Pacific that respects the rules of nations’ sovereignty and integrity.
This clearly also brings us to what we have been dealing with in recent times: the major shocks faced by our nations. The pandemic crisis and now the international crisis with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions on global security and the international rules-based order, but also on issues such as food security and energy security, especially in the most vulnerable countries. This is very important at a time when a country like India is taking over the Presidency of the G20, as I believe its leadership can strongly represent also the needs and the interests of countries in the Global South. We are of course extremely interested in supporting this path and providing our help on this path.

Prime Minister Modi is perfectly aware of Italy’s position regarding full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and I believe we both share the hope that India, as G20 president, can play a central role in facilitating a path of negotiation towards a cessation of hostilities and a just peace. I clearly also think that it was important to keep the multilateral community united on a document at the previous G20 in Bali, and we will do everything we can to support the Indian presidency to take further steps forward and demonstrate our friendship once again.   
Prime Minister Modi knows that he can count on Italy’s comprehensive cooperation for the success of the next G20 summit and that he can count on Italy and on my Government to strengthen our relations.
I really believe we can do great work together, and, who knows, maybe this will allow me to reach the levels of popularity that Prime Minister Modi has (as is known, he is the most loved in the world); I do not have the presumption that I will reach such a goal, but it certainly demonstrates great leadership skills, for which I wish to offer him my congratulations.
Thank you.

[Courtesy translation]