By Cristina Gallardo

Italy is in favor of Saudi Arabia joining a multinational effort to build a latest-generation fighter jet, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Monday.

The U.K., Italy and Japan have already partnered on the project, called the Global Combat Air Programme $(GCAP)$, which aims to put a new stealth fighter with supersonic capability in the skies by 2035.

The program, cost of which could run into the hundred of billions of euros, is trying to attract new member states. Talks have kicked off with Saudi Arabia, which has expressed an interest in joining.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to Bahrain, Meloni cautioned that negotiations about Saudi Arabia's participation in GCAP would take time.

"We are in favor of the Saudis entering," she said.

"Clearly it is a rather non-immediate job because we have to close all the three-way work with the government of Great Britain and the government of Japan, and in the meantime also encourage the approach of the Saudi kingdom, which clearly must bring its defense industrial capabilities closer to those of the other players involved."

Meloni spoke following an official visit at the weekend to Saudi Arabia, where met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al-Ula on Sunday, and signed cooperation and industrial agreements valued at around $10 billion.

Last month, the U.K.'s BAE Systems, Italian defense giant Leonardo and an aircraft unit of Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries created a joint venture to set up the program.

Write to Cristina Gallardo at cristina.gallardo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 27, 2025 05:14 ET (10:14 GMT)

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