India and Italy have launched a significant strategic partnership through the India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

This initiative represents a cooperative framework dedicated to dismantling terror networks, blocking illicit financial flows, and enhancing coordination through global platforms like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF).​

The initiative aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism by realigning efforts on intelligence sharing, capacity building, and rigorous enforcement to choke off financial resources that sustain terrorism.

Both nations emphasise strengthening multilateral engagement and coordination to ensure more effective tracking and disruption of terror financing routes, targeting actors that facilitate money laundering and funding of terror groups.​

During their discussions, the leaders also reviewed the broader India-Italy Strategic Partnership, expressing satisfaction with progress under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29. This includes advancements in trade, investment, defence, security, space, science, technology, education, and people-to-people ties.

The partnership has bolstered industrial cooperation and business engagements, complementing the security agenda.​

Italian Prime Minister Meloni conveyed strong solidarity with India following a recent terror incident in Delhi, reaffirming Italy’s commitment to a joint fight against terrorism’s scourge. She also reiterated Italy’s support for an India-European Union Free Trade Agreement and welcomed India’s hosting of the AI Impact Summit in 2026, signalling expanding cooperation beyond security matters.​

This initiative reflects a timely and necessary effort to reinforce humanity’s collective fight against terrorism and its financial enablers. It symbolises a growing strategic partnership between India and Italy, by raising the efficiency of counter-terrorism financing mechanisms, enhancing information exchange, and supporting global peace and security frameworks.​​

The India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism is designed to systematically dismantle terror networks through concerted international cooperation, disrupt illicit financial flows funding terrorist activities, and harness coordination mechanisms via FATF and GCTF. The agreement marks a key milestone in multilateral security collaboration, alongside ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral ties across diverse sectors.​

Agencies