Published on November 4, 2025
- Date: 4 November 2025
- Venue: Italian Ambassador’s Residence, Tokyo
- Speaker: Ms ERI Arfiya, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
- Event: Italian Armed Forces Day Reception
- Key milestone: Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between Japan and Italy now in force
- Core message: Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are inseparable
- Status: Japan and Italy are strategic partners sharing common values
Tokyo witnessed a warm diplomatic moment when Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms ERI Arfiya, joined the Italian Armed Forces Day celebrations on Tuesday evening. Speaking at the Italian Ambassador’s official residence, she represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and highlighted a fresh chapter in bilateral defence ties.
New Defence Pact Strengthens Tokyo-Rome Bond
The highlight of her address was the formal activation of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between the two nations. This pact allows mutual logistical support, fuel supply, and maintenance services for each other’s armed forces during joint exercises or operations.
Ms ERI underlined that stability in the Euro-Atlantic region and the Indo-Pacific cannot be separated. “Our shared democratic values and strategic interests bind us closer than ever,” she told the gathering of diplomats, military officers, and defence attachés.
Growing Security Cooperation
Over the past few years, Tokyo and Rome have expanded joint naval drills, air-force exchanges, and intelligence sharing. The ACSA now gives these activities a solid legal backbone, making cooperation smoother and faster.
Looking Ahead
The Vice-Minister expressed confidence that people-to-people contacts between the Self-Defence Forces and Italian troops will grow further. She pledged to work tirelessly to deepen every area of the partnership, from maritime security to disaster-response collaboration.
Guests raised a toast to the enduring friendship, with the Italian Ambassador thanking Japan for its steady support to multilateral initiatives in both regions.
With the ACSA now operational, defence planners in Tokyo and Rome are already drafting the next round of joint exercises scheduled for 2026.