Rome [Italy], May 20 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said India and Italy will work on further developing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) while simultaneously announcing 2027 as the 'Year of Culture and Tourism' between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Rome.

Addressing a joint press statement with PM Modi as part of his last leg of his five-nation tour, Meloni said that both countries remain committed to further developing IMEC, describing it as a major infrastructure and economic corridor linking Europe, the Middle East, and India that can significantly boost trade, investment, and supply chain resilience.

She said the initiative, first established during the G20 summit, has the potential to unlock 'wonderful opportunities' for businesses and deepen economic cooperation between the two sides.

'We think that strengthening the interconnection between these two important areas is also extremely important. That's the reason why we wanted to further develop IMEC, which is the infrastructure corridor, economic corridor between Europe, Middle East, and India, which was established during the G20 summit. This initiative we strongly believe in because we think that it can unleash a potential, a wonderful potential for our trade, for our businesses, and for our relations,' she said.

The Italian Prime Minister further said India and Italy share a common vision on key global challenges, including international stability, economic security, resilience of supply chains, and the promotion of peace and inclusive development.

'Italy and India share a joint vision on many of the huge challenges of our times: international stability, protecting rules, economic security, the resilience of the value chains, the promotion of peace, and inclusive development,' she added.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), unveiled in 2023, comprises an Eastern Corridor connecting India to the Gulf region and a Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe. It will include a railway and ship-rail transit network, as well as road transport routes.

Meloni further said that strengthening people-to-people ties is as important as political and economic cooperation, adding that cultural exchanges will play a central role in deepening bilateral relations and thus announced that India and Italy will observe 2027 as the 'Year of Culture and Tourism', aimed at enhancing mutual understanding between the two ancient civilisations and strengthening cultural diplomacy.

'The strength of the relationship between two countries is not only measured by the depth of the political relationship or in terms of economic figures, but it is also indicated by the ability to bring our populations together to be able to create opportunities for mutual knowledge. That's why we decided to launch the Italy-India Year of Culture and Tourism for 2027, which is a unique opportunity to have our century-old cultures develop a dialogue and make them more and more connected,' she stated.

Highlighting the strategic convergence between the two countries, the Italian Prime Minister said India and Italy, as two peninsulas located in the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions, respectively, share a natural geopolitical alignment that can strengthen global connectivity.

'We have another feature in common: we are two peninsulas, two platforms, or logistic platforms, which are projecting in crucial areas of the world: the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific area,' Meloni added.

She noted that both sides discussed complex geopolitical situations, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, reiterating support for diplomatic solutions and lasting peace.

On maritime security, Meloni stressed the importance of freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, saying both countries share a commitment to a 'free, open and inclusive' regional order.

She added that Italy will continue to play an active role in global affairs and work closely with India, including on connectivity, stability, and multilateral cooperation, to address emerging global challenges.

'We are increasingly interconnected and Italy will continue to play its role. We shall not mention the fact that it is extremely important to have freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific sector, which is where we share the same vision of a free, inclusive, and open Indo-Pacific. And Italy will continue to play its role; Italy and India will continue to play their roles, possibly together, to contribute to peace and stability,' she stated.

The remarks came during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Italy, which marked a significant step forward in strengthening India-Italy strategic, economic, and cultural ties.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday in the last leg of his five-nation tour following his engagements in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. (ANI)