India, May 20 -- India and Italy upgraded their relations to a special strategic partnership and pledged to expand two-way trade to €20 billion by 2029 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, held talks to strengthen cooperation to bolster the rules-based order amid conflicts and geopolitical turbulence.

The two leaders expressed concern at the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia and their impact on the world and emphasised the need for de-escalation and diplomacy to ensure lasting peace. They also called for freedom of navigation and the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday for the final leg of a five-nation tour aimed at enhancing India's energy ...