The Rome–New Delhi Security Vector: India and Italy Deepen Counter-Terror Financing and Intelligence Architecture

In a direct institutional execution of their newly minted Special Strategic Partnership, India and Italy convened back-to-back bilateral security panels in New Delhi on October 6–7, 2026. The high-level talks brought together counter-terrorism, financial intelligence, and law enforcement agencies from both capitals to build operational synergy against organized crime syndicates, illicit narcotics corridors, and next-generation terror financing networks.

The bilateral engagement comprised the 6th meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime on October 6, followed by the 2nd meeting of the India-Italy Permanent Task Force on Countering Financing of Terrorism on October 7.

1. Institutional Leadership and Diplomatic Mandate

The back-to-back proceedings were co-chaired by senior officials from both foreign ministries:

Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs of India.
Mr. Paolo Mari, Joint Secretary for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy, Directorate General for Political Affairs and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.

Specialized counter-terrorism operatives and legal-regulatory agencies from both nations participated in the deliberations, signaling a shift from high-level political consensus toward operational synchronization between their respective security bodies.

2. Uncompromising Stance on Cross-Border Terrorism

Reaffirming zero tolerance toward asymmetric warfare, both delegations issued a joint condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations, placing specific emphasis on cross-border terrorism:

Pahalgam Condemnation:

Both sides reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives.

Strategic Signal:

Italy’s sustained public condemnation of the Pahalgam attack across bilateral formats aligns Rome with New Delhi’s doctrine holding state sponsors of regional subversion accountable under international law.

3. The Organized Crime Nexus and Asymmetric Threats

Over the two-day consultations, the Joint Working Group covered the growing convergence between transnational criminal cartels and terror networks across three core operational pillars:

Organized Crime & Narcotics

Narco-terror networks
Transnational syndicates
Intelligence sharing

Tech Misuse & Cyber

ICT exploitation
Digital asset tracking
Capacity building

Financial Chokepoints

Dismantling funding routes
FATF & GCTF alignment
Johannesburg Accord execution

Drug Trafficking: Deliberations focused on mapping narcotics supply routes that serve as the primary liquidity pipeline for transnational insurgencies.
Misuse of Emerging Technologies: Both nations addressed the weaponization of new technologies—particularly information, communication, and financial technologies (FinTech)—by non-state actors.
Capacity Building: Outlined clear frameworks for real-time information exchange and technical capacity building to counter evolving, non-traditional threats.

4. Dismantling Financial Pipelines: The Permanent Task Force

The second day focused on choking illicit capital flows under the India-Italy Joint Initiative on Countering Financing of Terrorism, an institutional mechanism launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025:

Financial Disruption: The Task Force focused on identifying and neutralizing terror funding networks, dark-web transactions, and front charities.
Multilateral Alignment: New Delhi and Rome agreed to coordinate closely across international rule-making bodies, including the United Nations (UN), the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to eliminate regulatory safe havens.