Today at 3:00 pm Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will participate in Rome, Palazzo della Cancelleria, in the 34th General Assembly of the Italy-Japan Business Group (IJBG), an organization created in 1989 to enhance economic and industrial cooperation between Italy and Japan, promoting the creation of strategic partnerships, investment and trade in key and innovative sectors, such as digitalization and sustainability.

Currently, the IJBG is co-chaired, on the Italian side, by Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo SpA, and, on the Japanese side, by Shunichi Miyanaga, Director & Member of the Board of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Group is one of the main forums for economic discussion between the two countries and the annual General Assembly is not only a moment of strategic direction, but also an important opportunity for the official presentation of new members, thus strengthening the network of contacts and opportunities for collaboration.

In 2024, Italian exports to Japan exceeded EUR 8.2 billion, with a 2.5% growth compared to the previous year, numbers that make Italy the second European exporter to Japan. Italy and Japan are also linked by long-standing synergies and partnerships in the industrial sector, among which today the strategic project GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) stands out. It is an initiative of historic importance that sees Italy and Japan, together with the United Kingdom, working for the development of a sixth-generation combat aircraft (see for details AVIONEWS).