Italian, Japanese leaders agree to form "strategic partnership"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a news conference at Chigi Palace, in Rome, Italy, January 10, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Japanese counterparty Fumio Kishida agreed at a meeting on Tuesday to strengthen ties in a range of spheres including the economy, trade and security, the leaders said.

"We have agreed to elevate our relations to the level of a strategic partnership," Meloni told reporters in a brief statement after the meeting in Rome.