PM Modi, Italian PM Meloni visit iconic Colosseum after dinner, share pictures

ROME: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni over dinner shortly after arriving in Rome on Tuesday, on the last leg of his five-nation visit.

They both then undertook a visit to the iconic Colosseum, where they engaged in deep conversation over a wide range of subjects

In a post on X, PM Modi shared glimpses of his visit with Meloni and said, ” Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner, followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum. We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship”.

Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum. We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the… pic.twitter.com/df0bDYKCdU

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2026

Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in Rome for the final leg of his five-nation tour. Sharing a picture with PM Modi on X, Meloni wrote, “Welcome to Rome, my friend!.” Meloni shared an earlier picture of both leaders at the Colosseum in Italy.

Welcome to Rome, my friend! pic.twitter.com/mUjFL4HIqY

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 19, 2026

PM Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in Rome. He interacted with members of the Indian community and witnessed cultural performances at his hotel. PM Modi also signed an autograph for a child who greeted him with a portrait.

Among those who met the Prime Minister was Svamini Shuddhananda Ghiri, who said she was meeting PM Modi for the second time after 2021. She further said that the Sanatana Dharma Samgha had been recognised as an official religion in Italy by the Italian Parliament.

“I am very happy, and this is the second time we have met him. We met him in 2021 and he also continued to sustain and to foster our mission…Sanatana Dharma Samgha is recognised as an official religion here in Italy by the Italian Parliament,” she said.

PM Modi’s Italy visit comes amid strong momentum in India-Italy relations, with both sides actively advancing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a broad framework for cooperation across multiple areas. These include trade–which reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025–investment, with cumulative FDI of USD 3.66 billion (April 2000-September 2025), as well as defence and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Earlier, the Prime Minister was in Norway for the fourth leg of his five-nation tour and before his Oslo visit, he was in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. (ANI)