Japanese Prime Minister Sanaei Takaichi visits UK and Italy ahead of G7 summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanaei Takaichi embarked on a diplomatic tour of the United Kingdom, Italy and France before attending her first G7 summit in Évian, France. In London she met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and in Italy she met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, discussing cooperation on energy security, critical minerals, supply‑chain resilience and joint projects in offshore wind, AI, quantum technology, space and semiconductors.

Starmer, hosting the G7 on the French‑Swiss border, also met Takaichi in London to seal an £18 billion investment deal for offshore wind and nuclear cooperation. Both leaders highlighted the need to counter export restrictions, strengthen oil stockpiles and establish joint stockpiling frameworks for critical minerals among G7 partners, aiming to bolster global energy resilience and secure supply chains.

The tour underscores Japan’s push for stronger international collaboration on these strategic sectors as the G7 prepares to address broader geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Indo‑Pacific region.