Prime Minister and LDP President Shinzo Abe ended his European tour (Germany, France, Belgium and Italy) with a visit to Italy, where he attended a summit. He expressed his commitment to further strengthen and develop relations with Italy, saying, "When he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni did much to strengthen relations between Japan and Italy, and I look forward to working with him." Prime Minister Abe also promised his full support for the G7 Taormina Summit, for which Italy will serve as chair.

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