According to CoinMeta, Italy stated on Saturday that it fully supports Germany's participation in the "Global Air Combat Program" (Global Combat Air Programme, referred to as GCAP) aimed at developing the next generation of fighter jets, and refuted media reports suggesting that Italy had attempted to prevent Germany from joining. In a statement, the Italian government pointed out that previous reports claiming Italy opposed Germany's participation were "completely misleading" and did not reflect Italy's consistent stance. Italy has always welcomed Germany's participation in GCAP and had suggested that Germany initially participate as an "observer" to facilitate information sharing and accelerate its process of becoming a full member.