PM Narendra Modi receives invitation from Rome for Dante celebration

Italian PM Giuseppe Conte extended the invitation to Modi during a virtual India-Italy summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received an invitation from his counterpart in Rome, Giuseppe Conte, to join the events planned to celebrate “Father of Italian Language” Dante Alighieri next year.

Conte extended the invitation to Modi during a virtual India-Italy summit, which saw the signing of 15 pacts, including several between business entities of the two nations. Italian Prime Minister told his counterpart in New Delhi that his government in Rome had planned several events to celebrate the life and works of Dante Alighieri next year, coinciding with the 700th death anniversary of the 13th-14th century poet and philosopher.

Conte told the Prime Minister that Dante had referred to India, particularly the river Ganges, in his epic poem “Divine Comedy”. Modi told the Italian Prime Minister that he, himself, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi, a constituency on the bank of the river Ganges, Sandeep Chakravorty, Joint Secretary (Europe West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, told journalists after the virtual summit between the two leaders.

Chakravorty quoted Prime Minister telling his counterpart that Dante’s reference to the river Ganges and India in “Divine Comedy” and the Italian Government’s plan to celebrate his life and work next year had added to his interests to visit Rome.

Modi was planning to visit Italy in May but had to postpone the tour in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 15 pacts signed on the sideline of the India-Italy summit included a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Italian Trade Agency and Invest India, another to promote co-financing between Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA (CDP) of Italy and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India, Cooperation Agreement to set-up a CNG compressors factory in India between Snam S.p.A., Italy and Adani Gas Ltd of India and a pact to enhance the development of green hydrogen between Snam S.p.A., Italy and Greenko Energies Private Ltd of India.

The MoU to promote the energy transition and cooperate on gas infrastructure development between Snam S.p.A., Italy and Indian Oil Corporation Limited of India.