New York: Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has reaffirmed his country’s support for the swift conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union.
Following his meeting on Thursday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Tajani posted on X, “I confirmed Italy's support for a rapid finalization of the Free Trade Agreement.”
He noted that Italy and India share a strategic political and economic partnership, which he intends to deepen with another visit to India in the coming months. “India is a priority country of our #PianoExport,” he said, using the Italian word piano meaning plan. He added that a commitment of 500 million euros has been allocated to support Italian exporters in India.
Jaishankar, in his post on X, said the discussions covered developments in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific, along with the progress in bilateral ties.
On the same day, Jaishankar also met Yvette Cooper, Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, appointed in a Cabinet reshuffle this month. Their talks focused on follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July visit to the UK, during which the India-UK Vision 2035 was unveiled. The ten-year roadmap outlines cooperation in defense, job creation, advanced technologies, and education, alongside the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
The External Affairs Minister also held meetings with counterparts Penny Wong of Australia, Carlos Ramiro Martínez of Guatemala, Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Mohamad Haji Hasan of Malaysia, Arnoldo André of Costa Rica, and Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez of Panama.