Two Peninsulas, One Maritime Arc: India, Italy And The Mediterranean Link

 

Two Peninsulas, One Maritime Arc: India, Italy And The Mediterranean Link New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on port modernisation and logistics, echoed by his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni’s reference to the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific as interconnected spaces, underlines a shift in how India views distant waters. The Mediterranean is emerging in New Delhi’s thinking as the Indo-Pacific’s western gateway – where maritime security, supply chains and geopolitical partnerships converge, with Italy as a key interlocutor. “As maritime powers, close cooperation in the field of connectivity is natural for India and Italy,” Modi said during a joint media briefing with Meloni in Rome on Wednesday during the course of which the two sides agreed to elevate their ties to that of a Special Strategic Partnership.

 

“We will work together on shipping, port modernisation, logistics, and the blue economy.” On her part, Meloni said that India and Italy are two peninsulas or two platforms, which are projected in crucial areas of the world – the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific region. “We think that strengthening the interconnection between these two important areas is of extreme importance,” she said. “That’s the reason why we wanted to further develop IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor)… which was established during the G20 Summit (in New Delhi in 2023).” “The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), recognising its transformational potential in reshaping and promoting global trade, connectivity and prosperity,” a joint statement issued following the bilateral summit reads.

 

“Appreciating the preliminary discussions around the project, they encouraged the first IMEC Ministerial meeting to take concrete steps for advancing this initiative in 2026.” The two leaders’ statements point to a single, continuous maritime arc that carries trade, energy, data and security interests from the Indian Ocean to Europe. For New Delhi, partnering with Italy in the Mediterranean is not peripheral to the Indo-Pacific idea – it is an extension of it.