Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed in Rome on Monday (15 June) to deepen cooperation on defence, economic security and space technology as part of the countries’ Special Strategic Partnership.
The leaders confirmed support for accelerating the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral initiative involving Japan, Italy and the UK to develop a next-generation fighter jet.
Key developments:
- Agreement to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors and frontier technologies.
- Support for closer cooperation on energy security and LNG supply resilience.
- Joint commitment to expand collaboration in space exploration, lunar missions, Earth observation and space sustainability.
- Coordination on regional security, including support for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
Takaichi said the two countries would “continue to work together to accelerate progress” on GCAP, while Meloni described Japan and Italy as strategic partners working across a broad range of shared priorities.
ℹ️ Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Italian Government, Prime Ministers office of Japan, The Japan Times
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