Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed to strengthen ties in a range of spheres, including the economy, trade and security, at a meeting on Tuesday, the leaders said.

"We have agreed to elevate our relations to the level of a strategic partnership," Meloni told reporters in a brief statement after the meeting in Rome.

Among the areas of heightened cooperation, Kishida cited diplomacy, investment, railways and cinema.