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Parishram he safalta ki kunji hai (hard work is the key to success), says Italian PM Meloni speaking in Hindi, while standing next to Indian PM Modi pic.twitter.com/VOv4jV3Fy4
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 20, 2026
Addressing a joint press briefing alongside Prime Minster Narendra Modi in Rome on Wednesday, she said, "Visit of yours is an honour for us. It opens a new page in relations with our countries. It's not going to be the last one in this book that you are writing together with resolution, doing our work in the best possible way. There is an Indian word which states that very well, which is 'parishram', which means hard work, constant commitment... word which is very often used in India, and it's often used in a very popular way of saying 'parishram he safalta ki kunji hai', which means tough work is the key to success and we are used to building our relationship in this way..."
Meloni described PM Modi’s visit to Rome as a “historic day” for India-Italy relations, noting that it marked the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Italy in 26 years.
Calling PM Modi her “friend,” Meloni said the visit symbolised a renewed commitment by both nations to deepen ties and take their partnership to its highest level yet.
Meanwhile, India and Italy also elevated their bilateral relationship to a “special strategic partnership” following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and PM Meloni.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Rome, PM Modi said “India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 provides a practical and futuristic structure to our partnership. We are moving forward on this in a time-bound manner. Trade between our countries is moving towards the 20 billion euros target. Over 400 Italian companies in India are contributing to India’s growth story.”
Meloni said the upgraded partnership was the culmination of sustained efforts by both governments to strengthen bilateral engagement across multiple sectors.
With inputs from agencies
