Italy and Japan are elevating their bilateral relationship to a “Special Strategic Partnership” following a meeting in Tokyo between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The move coincides with the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Meloni emphasized her personal and institutional rapport with Takaichi, highlighting the opportunity to adapt the partnership to global challenges such as the digital revolution, energy transition, and geopolitical fragmentation. “Italy and Japan share deep-rooted values and a commitment to a free and just international order,” she said.

The strategic agenda includes strengthening industrial synergies in high-value sectors like robotics, emerging technologies, space economy, clean energy, and defense. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which also involves the UK, is viewed as a platform for industrial cooperation and security in both Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. Joint efforts will also focus on protecting critical technologies and enhancing the resilience of supply chains, particularly for strategic minerals.

Both leaders reaffirmed commitments to international crises, supporting a just peace in Ukraine and stability in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Italy and Japan also share a vision for Africa, with Italy’s Mattei Plan and Japan’s TICAD initiative promoting sustainable cooperation.

Takaichi stressed the importance of closer collaboration between like-minded nations amid complex global conditions, confirming ongoing efforts in security, economy, infrastructure, energy, LNG, and space research. The new partnership, she noted, further narrows the distance between Italy and Japan.