Defence minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. The two leaders emphasised that the India-Italy strategic partnership rests on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect.

A bilateral military cooperation plan for 2026–27 was formally exchanged during the meeting, setting out the framework for future military engagements between the armed forces of both nations.

In a post on X, Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction at welcoming Guido Crosetto and noted that the talks covered a wide range of regional and global issues, including the ongoing situation in West Asia. He highlighted discussions on expanding defence industrial cooperation, aligning India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative with Italy’s defence cooperation programme to create mutually beneficial opportunities.

The Indian Coast Guard also hosted an Italian delegation, which included senior representatives from Fincantieri, at its headquarters in Delhi. The dialogue focused on collaboration with Indian shipyards for upcoming projects.

Key areas of discussion included advanced design features such as resilient hulls capable of withstanding higher sea states, enhanced bollard pull, integrated fire-fighting systems, and hybrid or electric propulsion technologies.

The talks also explored modular ship design to enable versatile, multi-role platforms with rapid adaptability to operational requirements.

Both sides underscored the convergence between the two ancient sea-faring nations on critical maritime issues. This included strengthening information exchange through the Information Fusion Center–Indian Ocean Region, which plays a vital role in maritime domain awareness and cooperative security.

Prior to the bilateral meeting, Guido Crosetto laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, paying homage to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the nation.

This solemn gesture underscored the respect and solidarity between the two countries as they seek to deepen defence and maritime cooperation.

ANI