"Meeting friends is always a delight": PM Modi reacts to 'Melodi' selfie shared by Italian counterpart Georgia Meloni

Reacting to the selfie shared by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that it is always a delight to meet friends.

In a post on social media platform X today, PM Modi, sharing the picture, wrote, "Meeting friends is always a delight."

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1730886406677881184?s=20

The selfie that was notably shared by the Italian PM, was taken during their meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Friday.

"Good friends at COP28. #Melodi," Italian PM Meloni captioned her post on Instagram.

Meanwhile, during the meeting held between the two leaders on the sidelines of COP 28 in Dubai yesterday, PM Modi also talked about efforts by India and Italy and referred to it as a sustainable and prosperous future.

"Met PM @GiorgiaMeloni of Italy on the sidelines of the #COP28 Summit. Looking forward to collaborative efforts between India and Italy for a sustainable and prosperous future," PM Modi said in a post wrote on X.

PM Modi also met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Barbados counterpart Mia Amor Mottley, French President Emmanuel Macron, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UK PM Rishi Sunak among others leaders in Dubai.

During his UAE visit, PM Modi noted that climate change has had an immense impact on the countries in the Global South. The PM said that to fulfil the aspirations of the Global South, climate finance and technology are essential.

This was PM Modi's third appearance at the World Climate Action Summit after he visited Paris in 2015 and Glasgow in 2021.

COP28 Summit is being held from November 28-December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE.

Meanwhile, this is not the first meeting that has taken place between the leaders of the two countries.

Before this, PM Modi had met the Italian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

She also made a State visit to India in March 2023, during which bilateral relations between India and Italy were raised to the level of a Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister had appreciated Italy's support for India's G20 Presidency and Italy's joining of the Global Biofuel Alliance and the India - Middle East - Europe Economic Corridor.

The two leaders had then, noted with satisfaction the completion of 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

They also took stock of the progress in diverse areas of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership and agreed to bolster cooperation in areas like defence and new and emerging technologies. They noted the need for G7 and G20 to work in consonance with the greater global good.