Dear President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Takaaki Komatani, Dear Secretary General, Davide Fantoni, Distinguished members of the ICCJ, dear friends,
Good evening. It is a true pleasure to welcome you back to the Embassy for the 2026 General Assembly of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan. This is a landmark year, as we celebrate the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan.
As many of you know, my mission as Ambassador will conclude at the end of February. This gathering, therefore, offers a timely opportunity to take stock of the extraordinary results we have achieved together over the past years and to outline a strategic vision for the future.
Throughout my tenure, our bilateral ties have reached an unprecedented level of strategic importance. In particular, 2025 has been an exceptional year for our economic relations: bilateral trade is growing at a rate of 3%, with a surplus for Italy of approximately 4 billion euros. Beyond the figures, we have witnessed a surge in new agreements, industrial investments, and major contracts.
The synergy created through the Italy-Japan Business Group, the coordinated efforts of the Sistema Italia—in which the ICCJ remains a vital pillar—and Italy’s highly successful participation in Expo Osaka have all been instrumental. Together, we have projected a stronger, more innovative image of Italy in Japan, enhancing cooperation across all industrial sectors.
In this context, the ICCJ has played a remarkable role. Davide and his dedicated team provided essential support to 13 of the 18 Italian Regions present at the Expo, organized over 200 promotional events, and assisted more than 260 Italian companies in navigating the Japanese market. This represents a concrete, measurable impact on our national economy.
In the spirit of “Growth Diplomacy,” our current challenge is to consolidate these gains and fully unlock the unexplored potential of our partnership. To achieve a true “quantum leap,” we must first and foremost work to rebalance Italian exports by increasing the share of intermediate and investment goods.
While we continue to champion our excellence in consumer products and the luxury segment, we must cultivate the fertile ground necessary for industrial and technological collaborations to flourish. This objective was clearly reaffirmed by Prime Minister Meloni and Prime Minister Takaichi during their successful summit in Tokyo on January 16. On that occasion, they elevated our relationship to a “Special Strategic Partnership,” a crucial step given the current unstable geopolitical and geoeconomic environment.
As a follow-up to this meeting, we are working to deepen our dialogue on economic security, identifying how our industries can reciprocally reinforce our supply chains to make them more secure and resilient. We will soon hold the first bilateral Space Consultations to bolster strategic cooperation in the space domain, and we will launch two new joint research projects in cutting-edge fields such as AI-robotics and bio-manufacturing.
In this new strategic framework, the Embassy and the ICCJ must continue to work in close alignment. We must foster connections beyond Tokyo, deepening collaborations with Japanese partners in the key areas we already selected: aerospace, green energy, smart mobility, semiconductors, biotech, and agritech.
Let me conclude on a personal note. It has been a distinct privilege and a pleasure to work alongside you over these past four and a half years. Thank you for your outstanding cooperation and for your tireless contribution to the strengthening of our bilateral relations. We have proven that when we work as a System, we are a strong, trusted, and serious partner.
Let us continue along this path, looking forward to the next 160 years of friendship and shared prosperity.
Grazie a tutti, buon lavoro e buon anno del cavallo!