The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, at Palazzo Chigi. During the particularly cordial meeting, the two Heads of Government discussed the comprehensive bilateral agenda between Italy and Japan, including cooperation in the fields of politics, economics and trade, culture and security. They also had an in-depth exchange of views on the G7 work programme, in the context both of the Japanese Presidency (2023) and subsequent Italian Presidency (2024) of the Group and of the major global challenges.
The two Heads of Government then addressed the main issues on the international agenda, from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its global repercussions, particularly in Africa and Asia, to the prospects for stability, growth and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Given the excellent relationship between the two countries, it was decided during the meeting to elevate the bilateral relations to the status of Strategic Partnership, and it was agreed to launch a bilateral Foreign Affairs-Defence consultation mechanism.