[Provisional Translation]
On June 15, 2026 (local time), Prime Minister Takaichi, who was visiting Rome, the Italian Republic, held a summit meeting with H.E. Ms. Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic. The two leaders subsequently held a joint press conference and later attended a working lunch.
At the joint press conference, Prime Minister Takaichi made the following remarks:
(Prime Minister Takaichi)
Thank you, Giorgia. First of all, buon giorno to the people of Italy. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rome, your hometown, and to discuss how we can further advance the mature and excellent relationship between Japan and Italy. I am also delighted that, in this commemorative year marking the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Italy, Prime Minister Meloni visited Japan in January and I am now here in Italy in June, enabling reciprocal visits by our leaders.
Prime Minister Meloni and I will shortly travel to France, where the G7 Summit will begin this evening. Ahead of the Summit, as partners under our Special Strategic Partnership, we discussed not only the situation in the Middle East, but also developments in Ukraine and the regional situation in East Asia, including China and North Korea, and confirmed that we will continue to work closely together in addressing these challenges.
In particular, we welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran on a memorandum concerning the cessation of hostilities and related matters. Ensuring free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is an issue of critical importance not only for Japan and Italy but also for the international community as a whole. We expressed our hope that the agreement will be implemented swiftly and steadily so as to bring about peace and stability throughout the Middle East, and confirmed our close coordination toward that end.
The international community is also facing significant challenges in the area of energy security. Recognizing the importance of regional cooperation frameworks such as Japan's POWERR Asia initiative, we exchanged views on the actions that the G7 should take to strengthen energy resilience.
We also discussed the future direction of bilateral cooperation under the new partnership that Prime Minister Meloni and I announced in January.
First, we discussed the updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), which Japan announced last month. We confirmed our shared commitment to enhancing the autonomy and resilience of our respective countries and to working together to promote peace and stability in our regions. With an awareness of the growing connections between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific, Japan will work closely with Italy, a like-minded country, to make our regions stronger and more prosperous together, while coordinating with Italy's own initiatives.
With regard to security cooperation, I welcomed Italy's continued engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, including progress in personnel exchanges through joint exercises between our armed forces and the planned port call by an Italian naval vessel in Japan this September. As Prime Minister Meloni mentioned, we also discussed the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), and we will continue to work together to accelerate progress on this important initiative.
In the field of economic security, including energy security—one of the key priorities for both our countries—I welcome the signing of the intergovernmental memorandum aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience in such areas as semiconductors, critical minerals, and frontier technologies.
Building on the framework of the Economic Security Dialogue held in Tokyo recently, as well as on today's agreements, we will further advance concrete strategic cooperation in the field of economic security.
Cooperation on mutual support for LNG supplies in times of emergency, which Prime Minister Meloni and I confirmed in January, is also progressing steadily. We are likewise seeing concrete progress in strengthening cooperation between relevant institutions and companies in the semiconductor sector.
In the economic field, I sincerely hope that the Messina Strait Bridge project, in which Japanese companies are participating, will become a landmark symbol of economic cooperation between our two countries. I also hope that this project will be realized at an early stage by drawing upon Japan's knowledge and experience.
Cooperation in the space sector is also advancing. Today, we issued a Joint Statement on Space Cooperation. Business-to-business cooperation is already progressing in areas such as space debris mitigation and satellite data collaboration, and we will continue striving for further concrete achievements.
I also welcome the signing of the intergovernmental cooperation document aimed at promoting collaboration in frontier science and technology.
As Prime Minister Meloni mentioned, disaster management is another area of shared importance for our two countries. Responding to disasters, including volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, is a common challenge for both Japan and Italy. Under the memorandum of cooperation between our disaster research institutions signed in February, we will advance knowledge-sharing and human resource development.
When Prime Minister Meloni visited Tokyo in January, she spoke in Japanese and introduced the word “Ganbaru.” Today, I would like to note a phrase from Italy. I understand that in Italy, people often greet those who are working hard by saying, “Buon lavoro.” I have great respect for the sincere attitude toward work reflected in this expression. I believe it is this spirit that underpins Italy's outstanding craftsmanship, from automobiles to fashion. And together with Giorgia, I would like to continue doing “good work” for our two countries.
Thank you, Giorgia. Buon lavoro!