The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, is carrying out an important mission in Oman, Japan and South Korea, while geopolitical uncertainty is growing and security crises — from Ukraine to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific — are increasingly intertwined. Today, security is not only military: economic security is also becoming increasingly important, along with energy sustainability, the protection of sea routes and industrial competitiveness.
This diplomatic tour reflects a renewed strategic ambition of Italy, which aims to strengthen its global position as a natural bridge connecting Europe, the Gulf and the Indo-Pacific, along a crucial arc for international balances and strategic competition. What makes this trip particularly significant is above all the moment in which it takes place. It occurs as the world is accelerating the transition from globalization to a strategic fragmentation, where power is increasingly measured through competing economic corridors and different standards.
In this new geo-economic context, middle powers, including Italy, cannot afford to be vague, but must be rooted in reliable networks of partners and connections. Rome presents itself as one of the main drivers in the European Union regarding strategic connectivity, in particular that of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and Meloni's mission to Oman, Japan and South Korea fits coherently into this trajectory. On the strategic level, this trip strengthens Italy's security and geopolitical posture in key theaters. With maritime instability in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden continuing to threaten supply chains and energy flows, Oman becomes a key interlocutor for the security of sea routes, given its proximity to strategic nodes such as the Strait of Hormuz and its balanced diplomacy. In Muscat, Meloni will consolidate a partnership based on maritime stability, energy diversification (in light of Omani ambitions for green hydrogen) and economic cooperation, aiming to expand trade and investment.
Bilateral exchanges, worth 709 million euros in 2024, still remain limited compared to Italy's relations with other Gulf partners. At the same time, the Indo-Pacific is no longer "distant" from Europe. An escalation in the Taiwan Strait or new tensions on the Korean peninsula would have immediate effects on the European continent, from security to value chains to trade: maritime transport costs, semiconductor supply and market stability. No less important, Meloni's diplomacy towards Japan and South Korea is directly linked to Italy's industrial competitiveness and to a closer political alignment around a rules-based order.
Tokyo and Seoul, advanced democracies, technological leaders and pillars of Indo-Pacific security, are crucial nodes of economic security: from supply chains to sectors that define global power, such as semiconductors, batteries, digital infrastructure, the shipbuilding industry and advanced high-value manufacturing. It is no small detail: South Korea and Japan are respectively the world's second and third largest producers of semiconductors (after Taiwan), making them essential partners for building resilient and sustainable technology chains.
The statistics clearly explain what is at stake. In 2024, Italy exported around 6,6 billion euros to Japan, generating a trade surplus of 2,4 billion euros, and attracted significant investments in the national industry. Towards South Korea, exports reached 6,5 billion euros, supported by a growing productive integration: 2,7 billion euros of Italian foreign direct investment stock in South Korea and over 1 billion euros of Korean investment in Italy. So, economic relations are expanding, but still of limited dimensions compared to those of Germany and France, and precisely for this reason with great room for growth. Finally, Meloni's visit also has the value of a strong strategic message.
It signals Italy's commitment to deterrence, security and secure economic networks, through more sustainable alliances and full coherence with the EU line and in the transatlantic framework. The diplomatic mission of these days strengthens the EU's multifaceted approach to strategic partnerships: in Oman, Rome contributes to the relaunch of European engagement in the Persian Gulf, in the line of EU-GCC cooperation; while in Japan and South Korea it strengthens two of the most advanced pillars of the EU's Indo-Pacific projection. At the same time, the diplomatic tour aligns with the regional priorities of the United States, including three central countries, each in its own way, for the American strategy: Oman as a stability partner and key access point in the Persian Gulf; Japan as a fundamental ally and node of Indo-Pacific deterrence; and South Korea as an essential pillar of the security of the Korean Peninsula, as well as a technological-industrial partner.
Overall, Meloni's mission signals a more proactive and ambitious Italian foreign policy, oriented towards expanding strategic partnerships, attracting investment and reducing economic vulnerabilities. In an unstable international context, diplomacy is no longer simply representation: it is security, deterrence and economic leverage. It is within this framework that Meloni aims to create a new direction, giving Italy a more distinct voice and a clearer trajectory in the new geopolitical balances.
*The author, Atlantic Council senior expert and Decode39 advisory board member
