From UAE to Italy: PM Modi heads home after concluding five-nation tour

Rome: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for home after concluding his five-nation tour, covering the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

During his trip to Italy, the final stop of the prime minister's visit, the two sides decided to elevate their ties to special strategic partnership after PM Modi held talks with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

"Concluding a very productive visit to Italy. My discussions with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni covered a wide range of sectors. A key outcome of the visit was our decision to elevate India-Italy ties to a Special Strategic Partnership, which will add new momentum to our cooperation in the years to come," Modi posted on X.

"I thank Prime Minister Meloni, the Government of Italy and the wonderful people of Italy for their friendship," he posted on X.

"India-Italy ties going from strength to strength! The final leg of the PM @narendramodi’s 5-country tour concludes. PM has departed for India after a successful visit to Italy marked by significant outcomes and fresh momentum in deepening the Special Strategic Partnership with Italy," External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post.

Modi also called on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and discussed different aspects relating to India-Italy friendship, including trade, investment, cultural linkages, AI, critical minerals, space and nuclear energy.

Modi also received prestigious FAO Agricola Medal. Prime Minister Modi and Meloni also planted a Mulberry tree in Italy on Wednesday under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.

Modi arrived in Italy on Tuesday night from Norway, where he attended the third India-Nordic summit and held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

PM Modi was conferred with Norway's highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. This is Prime Minister Modi's 32nd international honour.

His visit to Norway marked the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in 43 years.

Modi began his trip with a visit to the UAE, where the two sides inked a series of landmark pacts spanning strategic petroleum reserves, long-term LPG supply, defence and shipping, with Abu Dhabi pledging investments totalling USD 5 billion in India.

Prime Minister Modi also engaged in high-level talks with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed amid the escalating West Asia conflict.

From the UAE, he went to the Netherlands, where both countries decided to elevate ties to a strategic partnership and inked 17 pacts on defence, critical minerals, and other sectors.

Following the talks between Modi and his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, India and the Netherlands unveiled a "strategic partnership roadmap" to boost ties in trade and investment, defence and security, critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, space, AI and quantum computing.

From there, Modi travelled to Sweden, where he was awarded the 'Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross' in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the India-Sweden relationship and his visionary leadership.

During PM Modi's visit, India and Sweden agreed to elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership.