Meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and Former Italian Prime Minister Renzi
On September 28, commencing at 5:46 p.m. for approximately 10 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, held a meeting with Mr. Matteo Renzi, Former President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, who is visiting Japan to attend the state funeral for former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo. A summary of the meeting is as follows.
1. At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his gratitude for the attendance by former Prime Minister Renzi at the state funeral for former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo, and congratulated him on his reelection to the Italian Parliament. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that Japan-Italy relations had significantly deepened thanks to the strong relationship of trust between former Prime Minister Abe and former Prime Minister Renzi, and expressed his desire to build on that diplomatic legacy. In response, former Prime Minister Renzi expressed his deep condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Abe. Former Prime Minister Renzi also stated that he had built a close relationship with former Prime Minister Abe, including welcoming him to his home town of Florence, and that they had worked together for Japan-Italy relations.
2. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that Japan and Italy were making progress in cooperation toward the realization of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” as advocated by former Prime Minister Abe, cooperation in the areas of security and defense, cooperation between Japanese and Italian companies. Former Prime Minister Renzi stated that he was delighted with the deepening of relations between Japan and Italy in various areas under the leadership of Prime Minister Kishida and Prime Minister Draghi as well and that he wished to cooperate to further strengthen the bilateral relations.
3. Prime Minister Kishida stated that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is an outrage that undermines the foundation of the international order, and reiterated the importance of the united response of the international community to halt Russia’s aggression at the earliest possible time. The two leaders shared the view that the security of Europe and Indo-Pacific is inseparable, and that it is important for Japan and Italy, both G7 partners sharing fundamental values, to continue to cooperate toward maintaining and strengthening the international order based on the rule of law.
