From ‘Melodi’ selfies to Rome diplomacy: Modi and Meloni meet again

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a series of informal interactions in Rome on Tuesday ahead of their scheduled bilateral talks, with visuals of the two leaders sharing a car ride, dinner and a visit to the historic Colosseum drawing widespread attention online.

The meetings took place as Modi arrived in Italy for the next leg of his multi-country Europe tour focused on trade, investment, strategic cooperation and global partnerships.

According to reports, Meloni personally received Modi in Rome and accompanied him during a private evening engagement that included a drive through parts of the Italian capital and a visit to the Colosseum, one of Italy’s most recognisable historical landmarks.

The leaders were also seen attending a dinner interaction before the formal round of diplomatic discussions scheduled for Wednesday. The informal setting was viewed as reflecting the growing personal rapport between Modi and Meloni, who have interacted multiple times during recent G20 and global summit meetings.

Images and videos from the Rome engagements quickly went viral on social media, with users revisiting the “Melodi” nickname coined online after earlier interactions between the two leaders during the G20 Summit in India and other international events.

Officials said the upcoming bilateral talks are expected to focus on defence cooperation, trade ties, clean energy, technology partnerships and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

India and Italy have significantly strengthened ties in recent years after both countries elevated their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership in 2023. Cooperation has expanded across sectors including manufacturing, semiconductors, renewable energy, space and defence production.

Italy has also emerged as an important European partner for India within the broader framework of India-European Union engagement. Rome has supported deeper India-EU cooperation in trade, connectivity and Indo-Pacific security discussions.

Modi’s visit comes amid efforts by both countries to increase bilateral trade and investment. India and Italy have also been exploring greater collaboration in mobility partnerships, startups and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The Colosseum visit added a cultural dimension to the diplomatic engagements, with officials describing it as part of efforts to highlight shared civilisational heritage and tourism ties between the two countries.

This is Modi’s latest high-profile European outreach after recent engagements in the Netherlands, Sweden and with European Union leadership during his ongoing diplomatic tour.

The Prime Minister is expected to hold delegation-level talks with Meloni later this week before continuing his international engagements.