India and Italy share strong ties, says External Affairs Ministry
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said India and Italy share a strong diplomatic partnership and stressed the importance of being "respectful of each other", in an apparent reference to remarks involving Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during an interaction between Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.
Earlier this week, Gandhi was quoted as saying, “Imagine the ignorance... where did he (PM Modi) get the idea that foreign policy was about hugging leaders.”
Gandhi then hugged Dikshit, who asked him if he hugged him “thinking he was Meloni" (the Italian PM). Gandhi replied, “I have not reached there yet”.
The MEA's response came after the Italian Prime Minister's name figured in the exchange between the two senior Congress leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held talks with Meloni in Rome in May this year, following which the two countries announced the elevation of ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership”.
Pointing out that the two countries “had never been closer” than now, Meloni had said her friendship and rapport with Modi had helped the two leaders to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations enormously.
