Indian Parliamentary Delegation Begins Strategic Engagements in Rome

In a significant continuation of India's ongoing diplomatic campaign following the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a high-level all-party delegation from India has arrived in Rome to engage with key Italian stakeholders on counter-terrorism collaboration.

The visit, taking place under the broader framework of Operation Sindoor, marks the latest chapter in India’s effort to convey its unified message of zero-tolerance towards terrorism to the international community.

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According to Embassy sources in Rome, the delegation comprises Members of Parliament representing a wide cross-section of Indian political parties, including both Houses of Parliament, along with former ministers and senior diplomats. Led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister, the group is part of a coordinated effort involving seven Indian delegations dispatched globally.

These delegations are tasked with building diplomatic consensus against state-sponsored terrorism and reinforcing India's case for multilateral counter-terror responses.

The Rome leg of the delegation’s visit features engagements with Italian lawmakers, policy think tanks, media institutions, and members of the Indian diaspora. These meetings aim to deepen Indo-Italian cooperation in the strategic domain, particularly with regard to intelligence-sharing, cyber-terrorism response, and institutional capacity building.

Embassy officials noted that the interactions are also intended to expand the conversation on reforms within global counter-terror frameworks.

The outreach comes amid a surge in bilateral diplomatic communication following the attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, which left multiple fatalities and injuries. Within hours of the incident on 22 April, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed condolences via a public message and followed up with a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 April. The Italian Prime Minister expressed her country’s solidarity with India and reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to strengthening joint efforts against terrorism.

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also reached out to their Indian counterparts, condemning the attack and underlining the need for sustained cooperation on security issues.

In Rome, the delegation is expected to present India’s unified political stance on terrorism, highlighting the cross-party consensus that underpins its global messaging. This aspect has been a cornerstone of India’s post-Pahalgam diplomacy, as the outreach draws on parliamentary legitimacy to present a nationally cohesive narrative.

The visit to Italy, and to several other European capitals thereafter, seeks to consolidate strategic alignments with countries that have both normative influence and operational capacities within international counter-terrorism architecture.

The Rome discussions are also seen as a preparatory platform ahead of India’s engagements in Brussels with the European Union, where New Delhi hopes to push for stronger political and institutional commitments in tracking terror financing and dismantling global safe havens for violent extremist groups.

Embassy sources described the delegation’s presence in Italy as part of a calibrated outreach to democratic allies that have shared stakes in rule-based global order.

Apart from formal meetings, the delegation is scheduled to interact with members of the Indian community in Italy, particularly in Rome and Milan. These diaspora engagements are intended to reaffirm India’s message of security, unity, and global partnership in times of crisis.

The delegation’s multi-partisan character, drawing representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIADMK, and other formations, underscores the seriousness with which India has approached its international communication following the Pahalgam incident.

Italy’s expressions of solidarity and interest in enhancing counter-terror dialogue have created an opening for more structured cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral forums. The Rome visit is expected to produce actionable understandings on information exchange and diplomatic synchronisation in international platforms dealing with terrorism.

India’s Rome engagement signals its determination to confront terrorism not just as a national threat, but as a shared challenge to international peace and security.