Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving prime minister in Italy’s postwar history and wished her continued success.
PM Modi also appreciated Meloni’s efforts to strengthen the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and expressed his readiness to continue working closely with her to build a prosperous future for the people of both countries.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership.”
“Her friendship has also been instrumental in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of our countries. My best wishes for her continued success in the years ahead,” he added.
Meloni, who became Italy’s first woman prime minister on October 22, 2022, completed 1,413 days in office on Friday, surpassing the tenure of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Earlier in July, Meloni had congratulated PM Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected prime minister and expressed her willingness to work with him to create new opportunities for the two countries and their people.
In a post on X, Meloni had said, “Congratulations to Narendra Modi who today becomes the longest-serving elected Prime Minister in the history of India. It has been a pleasure to meet again in Rome in recent weeks and to launch together a Special Strategic Partnership that looks to the future to create new opportunities for our Nations and our peoples.”
In May, PM Modi undertook a two-day official visit to Italy, where he met Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
During his meeting with Meloni, the two leaders decided to elevate bilateral ties to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership. They welcomed the “strong momentum” in high-level exchanges and agreed to hold annual leaders’ meetings, including on the sidelines of multilateral events, along with regular ministerial and institutional-level engagements.
PM Modi also presented Meloni with a packet of “Melody” toffees, reviving the widely popular “#Melodi” moment that has frequently gone viral on social media. Meloni later shared a video of the exchange on Instagram.
“Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift — a very, very good toffee — Melody,” she said, adding, “Thank you for the gift.”
The “Melodi” phenomenon, a portmanteau of the names PM Modi and Meloni, has become a recurring trend on social media, reflecting the friendly rapport between the two leaders during their international engagements.
(IANS Inputs)
