[Italy expressed support for Germany’s participation in the next-generation fighter jet project] November 14th, Italy stated on Saturday that it fully supports Germany’s participation in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) aimed at developing next-generation fighter jets, and refuted media reports that Italy had tried to prevent Germany from joining. The Italian government pointed out in a statement that previous reports that Italy opposed Germany's accession were "totally misleading" and inconsistent with Italy's consistent position. Italy said it has always welcomed Germany to join GCAP and had suggested that Germany initially participate as an "observer" in order to promote information sharing and speed up the process of becoming a full member.