“The Mediterranean, the Gulf, and the Indian Ocean increasingly belong to the same strategic conversation. Energy flows, maritime security, industrial resilience, and trade flows now connect Europe to the Indo-Pacific. So too does a growing recognition that the US and China now represent a global G2, and that the giants are likely to adopt policies requiring middle-power alternatives.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent European tour illustrated this. His visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy reflected a desire to combine engagement with European institutions, regional economic frameworks, and bilateral partnerships with key European states. The broader message was clear: Europe has become increasingly important for India’s external strategy.”
“The Rome summit nevertheless stood apart from the other stops on the tour. The decision by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Modi to elevate bilateral relations to what is termed a special strategic partnership formalized a relationship that has expanded rapidly over the past three years. Defense industrial cooperation, critical minerals, maritime transport, ports, innovation, and advanced manufacturing now sit at the center of the bilateral agenda.”
“Yet the summit’s broader significance emerged elsewhere. In a joint op-ed published simultaneously in Italy and India, Meloni and Modi described what they called the Indo-Mediterranean, describing it as an interconnected geostrategic space linking the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific through the Gulf and the Red Sea. They argued that the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean can no longer be considered separate spheres…”
https://cepa.org/article/europe-and-india-a-marriage-of-convenience/