Italy and Japan will hold major joint military exercises in the coming months as part of the new foreign-defense consultation mechanism, which will go into effect in March, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Monday, February 5, at a joint press conference in Tokyo. "I welcome Italy's increased presence in the Indo-Pacific region," stated Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. "This year, several Italian naval vessels, including a battle group (led by the aircraft carrier Cavour), are planning to call at Japan and conduct joint exercises." Meloni and Kishida have both indicated that the first bilateral foreign-defense consultation will take place in March, with significant cooperative exercises planned. "Italy intends to have an increasingly significant presence and will send additional aircraft and naval assets," Meloni said of the country's position in the Indo-Pacific. Next August, the F-35s will arrive in Japan, followed by the STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) Cavour aircraft carrier and the Italian Navy's training ship Amerigo Vespucci.
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