Italy, Japan sign agreement on defense cooperation

Italy and Japan have signed in Rome a bilateral deal to strengthen cooperation in the defense sector, an Italian statement said on Monday.

Italy said Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya signed a deal named ACSA (Acquisition and Cross-Service Agreement). Iwaya also held talks with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

The deal is aimed at "facilitating acquisitions, supplies, exchanges in the military field, and quickly mobilizing aid in case of emergencies and natural disasters."

Italy and Japan share with Britain a partnership for the new GCAP project to build an advanced front-line fighter to enter service around the middle of the next decade.

Italy said the GCAP program represented a "concrete example of how nations founded on the same system of values can join forces to address the complexities of the contemporary world."