Melodi: Italy PM Georgia Meloni's selfie moment with 'good friend' PM Modi at COP28 Climate Summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posed together for a selfie during a meeting on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate summit in Dubai on Friday.

"Good friends at COP28," Meloni captioned the photo on Instagram, adding the hashtag "#Melodi" in an apparent reference to her surname.

Modi also commented on the meeting, tweeting that he looked forward to "collaborative efforts between India and Italy for a sustainable and prosperous future."

Met PM @GiorgiaMeloni of Italy on the sidelines of the #COP28 Summit.

Looking forward to collaborative efforts between India and Italy for a sustainable and prosperous future. pic.twitter.com/IbiYLzqS4t

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2023

 COP28 Climate Summit

The two leaders were among over 100 heads of state and government officials attending the COP28, the high-level segment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Summit opened on November 28 and will run through December 12 under the presidency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On Friday, Modi delivered remarks at the World Climate Action Summit, a high-level event during the conference. It marked his third time speaking at the Summit after appearances in Paris in 2015 and Glasgow in 2021.

Modi in COP28 Climate Summit

During his visit to the UAE, Modi emphasised that developing countries have experienced immense impacts from climate change despite having a smaller historical role in causing it. He stated that fulfilling the aspirations of these countries requires access to climate finance and clean energy technologies.

Commenting on the effects of climate change on the global south, Modi underlined that countries including India have a smaller role to play in climate change but they are affected immensely by this crisis.

Modi also held meetings with several other world leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, French President Emmanuel Macron, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.