Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the 5th at his official residence in Tokyo. During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to work together to address various issues at the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit. The summit will be held in June in Puglia, southern Italy.
Mr. Kishida and Mr. Meloni also confirmed that Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom will promote the development of next-generation fighter jets. Furthermore, the two leaders intend to accelerate security cooperation at a meeting of foreign and defense officials scheduled for March.
The ruling coalition Komeito remains cautious about relaxing restrictions on defense equipment exports to third countries. However, Mr. Kishida expressed his intention to hurry up and reach an agreement at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on February 5th. At the committee meeting, he said, “The ruling party would like to reach a conclusion by the end of February.”
Take over the G7 Presidency
The meeting also commemorated Kishida’s handing over the G7 presidency to Meloni. In a joint press statement after the meeting, Mr. Kishida expressed his full support for Italy at the summit. He said, “Japan will spare no effort to cooperate with Italy for the success of this year’s Puglia Summit.”
At a dinner after the meeting, the two countries exchanged views on China’s actions to strengthen its hegemonism. The two leaders also discussed North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On the humanitarian front, Kishida and Meloni agreed to work together to improve the situation in the Gaza Strip.
At the Hiroshima Summit in May 2023, G7 leaders launched the Hiroshima AI Process, a framework for generative artificial intelligence (AI). Based on this course of action, the two leaders reaffirmed the G7’s commitment to leading the way in achieving safe, secure and trustworthy AI.
common understanding
Many G7 leaders believed that Mr. Kishida and Mr. Meloni were on the same wavelength in some respects. Through this meeting and the dinner that followed, the two leaders further deepened their relationship of trust.
Kishida has often spoken highly of Meloni, 47, and her abilities as a politician. He reportedly said of Italy’s prime minister, “It’s amazing that he became prime minister in his 40s.”
Meloni’s young daughter accompanies her on every outing whenever possible. During the Hiroshima Summit in May 2023, Mr. Kishida gave a young girl a stuffed animal of the popular character “Hello Kitty.” Meloni thanked and thanked the Prime Minister for his kindness. This episode shows Kishida and Meloni’s close personal relationship.
Practical views on China
Meloni is the leader of the Italian Brothers, a populist right-wing party known as the “far-right” party. As a result, there were concerns within the Japanese government after she took office in 2022.
However, since taking office as prime minister, Meloni has pursued cooperative diplomacy. She reassured G7 leaders that she was working with Italy, the United States and Europe against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It is also important that Mr. Kishida and Mr. Meloni are partners who share a similarly solid and pragmatic understanding of China. In reality, some G7 leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, have prioritized relations with China. Meloni once told Macron: “It is the duty of the G7 to confront China.”
Italy was the only G7 country participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But Meloni withdrew from the initiative in December 2023, clearly distancing Italy from China.
Cherishing our relationship with Taiwan
China is increasing military pressure on Taiwan with the aim of “unification.” Meloni had expressed support for Taiwan even before he became prime minister.
He also called for increased pressure on China from the European Union. Strengthening relations between Italy and Japan will be an important factor in shaping international public opinion toward Taiwan. This will be extremely important in preventing a Taiwanese emergency that could directly lead to a crisis in Japan.
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Author: Shingo Nagahara