Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday expressed strong support for India's potential to help resolve ongoing international conflicts during her participation in the 80th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
On the sidelines of UNGA, when she was questioned by ANI about India's involvement in current global wars, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Meloni responded positively and said, "I think it can play a very important role."
Meloni's endorsement comes against the backdrop of recent tensions between the United States and India over New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil. US President Donald Trump has criticized both India and China for their continued purchases of Russian oil, describing them as "the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil" in reference to the Ukraine conflict.
The trade dispute has escalated with Washington imposing an additional 25% tariff on India specifically targeting New Delhi's Russian oil purchases, bringing total US levies on India to 50%. Indian officials have pushed back against these measures, characterizing the tariffs as "unfair" while defending their oil procurement decisions based on domestic energy requirements.
The tariff disagreement has created obstacles for bilateral trade negotiations, temporarily stalling progress on a comprehensive trade agreement between the two nations. Despite these commercial tensions, Trump's administration has indicated a willingness to continue diplomatic engagement, with the US President announcing that his team remains committed to addressing trade barriers with New Delhi through ongoing negotiations.
In a notable diplomatic gesture on September 17, Trump adopted a more conciliatory tone in a birthday message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to him as a "friend" and praising his "tremendous" leadership qualities. The US President also acknowledged Modi's diplomatic efforts, stating: "Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!"
The India-Italy partnership has strengthened in recent months, with both leaders demonstrating alignment on the Ukraine crisis. Earlier this month, Modi and Meloni conducted a telephone conversation that highlighted their mutual commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Modi reflected on their discussion in a social media post, writing: "Had an excellent conversation with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We reaffirmed our joint commitment to deepen India-Italy Strategic Partnership, and shared interest in bringing an early end to the conflict in Ukraine."
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