This was the first in-person meeting between Prime Minister Modi and his Italian counterpart Draghi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome and discussed the challenges posed by climate change, and the need for the international community to work together, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Prime Minister Draghi for successfully hosting the G20 in the midst of a global pandemic. Italy is also partnering with the UK in organizing COP-26 in Glasgow.

As per the MEA, during the meeting, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the transformative climate actions undertaken by India, and the concerns of developing countries about climate financing commitments of the developed world.

The two leaders also exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. They reiterated their desire for working closer together for furthering the India-EU multifaceted cooperation.

On the bilateral side, the two leaders reviewed developments since the India-Italy Virtual Summit in November 2020 and expressed satisfaction at the progress in implementation of the 2020-2025 Action Plan adopted at the Virtual Summit that set strategic goals in the political, economic, science and technology and cultural spheres to be achieved in the next five years.

The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further expanding trade and investment linkages between the two countries particularly in textiles, food processing, automotive and renewable energy sectors.

Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Italian PM Draghi to pay an official visit to India at the earliest opportunity.

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