On February 20, the birthday of Emperor Naruhito was celebrated at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Italy, an event of great importance for our Japanese allies and a testimony to the deep friendship between Tokyo and Rome.
There is a common heritage between our two nations, a heritage deeply rooted in history: from Marco Polo‘s voyage in which he named Japan Cipango, to the 1866 Treaty of Friendship and Trade between the newly born Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Japan. More than 150 years of friendly relations were also recently highlighted by the visit of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Tokyo two years ago, when she signed the Strategic Partnership with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, thus strengthening relations between our countries.
Yesterday’s event was an important occasion to highlight Italy’s significant presence at the Osaka Expo. Among the many guests at the Japanese Embassy were the General Commissioner for Italy’s participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, and many important representatives of the Italian cultural, scientific and economic world, who will actively participate in the Expo, having contributed to the creation of a splendid Italian pavilion, whose theme is “Art Regenerates Life”.
But Japan has always been a point of reference, not only for Italy. It has been for Europe, and I would say for the entire West. Sharing the same values of peace and prosperity, reflected in foreign and security policy, both Italy and the EU have developed since the end of the Second World War the conviction that alliances between democracies governed by the rule of law are extremely important.
The same applies to partnerships with all countries that wish to promote the common interests of peace and growth in the international community. Such alliances and friendships become even more valuable at difficult junctures such as those we are now experiencing in Europe and the Middle East.
The words of a great Japanese leader two decades ago who spoke of the ‘confluence of two seas’ are important..
A key speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Confluence is the key word that unites the Indian and Pacific Oceans. An important strategic vision in which the interconnection of the seas generates strength, security, prosperity and peace.
A strategy that, at the European level, is realized within the strategic partnership signed in 2018 and entered into force last year, through Horizon Europe, the European research and innovation program with about 100 projects for cooperation in digital technologies, science, climate, health and transport.
At the national level, Italy has intensified its foreign relations through very relevant global outreach projects: the Mattei Plan for Africa; IMEC, the strategic corridor linking Europe and India, of which Italy is one of the first signatories; the agreement with the United Kingdom and Japan to create an international agency to manage the Global Combat Air Program.
Equally fundamental are the security and strategic pacts that Japan has signed with democratic partners, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) with the United States, India and Australia. Clearly, these partnerships mean innovation, growth, jobs and industrial cooperation, which also benefit Italian and European science, as well as economic and social cooperation.
Increasingly, the EU’s strategic partnership with Japan will also continue to be a strong driving force for the entire Italian system in the great Asian country and the Pacific Rim.
