Italy and Japan signed an agreement on Thursday to boost health, scientifc and medical collaboration between the two countries to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and find effective treatments and a vaccine for the virus, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Italy and Japan's health ministers during a videoconference, said the statement.
The MoU will strengthen Italy's cooperation with Japan in many areas, including controlling and preventing infectious diseases, health service organisation, hospital management, monitoring chemical, physical and biological risks in the workplace and cancer screening.
The accord is the result of an intense activity matured thanks to "robust collaboration" between Italy and Japan at G7 and G20 meetings, said the statement.
"These advanced economies record among the highest rates of life expectancy at birth. Therefore, they face common challenges also beyond the current health crisis," the statement continued.
The accord is a further demonstration of the government's extreme determination to put Italy at the forefront of the international alliance to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, the statement concluded.
