Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, addressing a joint press conference with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani today, expressed India's hope to collaborate closely with Europe, particularly Italy, to align together India and Italy's technical prowess.

Speaking about the Italy-India strategic economic partnership, Minister Goyal conveyed gratitude for Tajani's mention of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). He emphasised IMEC's significant potential to connect people, continents, and businesses, opening vast opportunities in its creation and fostering closer ties among participating nations.

Following his engagements in France, which focused on advancing India-France economic cooperation, Goyal is on a two-day visit to Italy, which concluded today. The Minister co-chaired the 22nd Session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) with Tajani.

These engagements occurred during a defining phase in India–Italy bilateral relations, following the launch of the India–Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) 2025–2029. The JSAP, announced after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024, is built on 10 thematic pillars, with economic cooperation as a core area of focus.

According to Goyal, the two nations share a glorious past and are committed to greater prosperity for their people and the greater global good. He described the Joint Strategic Action Plan as forward-looking and ambitious, with a strong focus on trade, innovation, and talent mobility, and a collective commitment to achieve the targets set by their leaders by 2029.

He noted that in April 2025, Tajani, along with a large delegation, attended the Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum, underscoring the high level of commitment between the two nations. Goyal also highlighted the strong ties in cinema and media between Italy and India, referencing the presence of actor Kabir Bedi at the conference.

Goyal suggested that just as the 2,000-plus-year history between the two nations has been discovered through Roman coins in southern India or the Lakshmi statue found in Pompeii, they will all rediscover the immense potential of this partnership and friendship through their current important interaction.

He pointed to the opportunities for infrastructure creation and connectivity that will empower businesses to expand their potential, bringing everyone closer together, a true vision shared by Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Meloni, reflected in their joint commitment as co-creators of the IMEC concept.

Tajani affirmed this as another great opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Italian entrepreneurs and their Indian counterparts. He described it as "a strategic partnership for growth," stating their readiness to seize opportunities, including through their common participation in the strategic IMEC regional corridor that stretches from Trieste to India.