Italy’s Meloni speaks to India’s Modi, skirts U.S. tariffs request

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed her country's "excellent" relationship with India in a phone call on Wednesday with her counterpart Narendra Modi, making no mention of U.S. requests for the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on Indian imports.

According to officials, U.S. President Donald Trump urged the European Union this week to hit China and India with new import duties as part of a strategy to put pressure on Russia, a key supplier of oil for the two nations.

In their call, Meloni and Modi welcomed "the excellent state of bilateral relations" and reaffirmed a shared commitment to deepen cooperation on trade, investment and connectivity, the Italian premier's office said in a statement.

The statement made no mention of Trump's demands.

The two leaders also discussed Ukraine, saying they support "all international efforts to promote a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace", the statement added.

As Europe and the U.S. have shunned Russian oil over Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has taken advantage of discounts on Russian output to become the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude.

India has made clear it would continue buying Russian oil as it proves economical, despite the Trump administration's decision to impose heavy import tariffs on Indian goods.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante Editing by Frances Kerry)