Italy foreign minister Antonio Tajani serves food at Delhi event. Watch

The Italian minister served food at an event attended by diplomats, Indian officials, business leaders, and cultural representatives. (Image credit: Antonio Tajani/X)

Italian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Antonio Tajani added a cultural flourish to his three-day visit to India by personally serving risotto at a special diplomatic event in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The gathering, attended by diplomats, Indian officials, business leaders, and cultural representatives, showcased how cuisine can strengthen international ties beyond formal dialogue. Sharing a video of the occasion on his social media handles, Tajani wrote in Italian, “As of today, Italian cuisine is a World Heritage Site #UNESCO. At the Embassy in New Delhi, we celebrate this great achievement for Italy and Italians around the world.”

Da oggi la Cucina Italiana è patrimonio dell’umanità #UNESCO. In Ambasciata a New Delhi festeggiamo questo grande risultato per l’Italia e per tutti gli italiani nel mondo. pic.twitter.com/kJrBiFm8yO

— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) December 10, 2025

Earlier in the day, Tajani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described the interaction as “very positive,” underlining the strength of bilateral relations. “Delighted to meet Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, today,” Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation for proactive steps towards implementing the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 across sectors such as trade, investment, research, innovation, defence, space, connectivity, counter-terrorism, education, and people-to-people ties. “India-Italy friendship continues to get stronger, greatly benefiting our people and the global community,” Modi added.

Speaking to PTI Videos after the meeting, Tajani expressed optimism about the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project. “We will start early. We need to work hard with the other countries. India and Italy are strongly engaged. Now the situation in the Middle East is much better, so it is possible to move in the right direction. I am optimistic. Italy and India are on the front line,” he said.

Tajani also highlighted India’s role in facilitating dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. “India is very important for pushing Russia towards achieving an agreement with Ukraine,” he noted, while extending a formal invitation to Modi to visit Italy next year. “In 2026, he will be in my country, in Italy,” Tajani said.