The Group of Seven industrialized nations held their first meeting of defense ministers on Saturday in Italy, aiming to demonstrate their unity in helping Ukraine repel Russia's invasion and to explore cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid China's growing influence.

The meeting in the southern Italian city of Naples is part of a series of events Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is attending during his first overseas trip since taking up the post early this month under the government led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Nakatani and his counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, plus the European Union, will likely issue a statement after the one-day discussions, Japanese government officials said.

NAPLES, Italy (Kyodo) -- Key topics include ways of ensuring continued security assistance for Ukraine, deescalating tensions in the Middle East and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the U.S. Defense Department.

With no signs of the conflict in Ukraine abating, concerns have been growing over the burgeoning ties between Russia and North Korea, with recent reports suggesting Pyongyang has provided a large number of troops to support Moscow's war effort there.

The G7 members also aim to beef up their defense industrial bases, given Ukraine's continued need for weapons and ammunition.

In the Middle East, Israel, which has been battling Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip for over a year, has recently launched a ground invasion of Lebanon alongside its deadly aerial bombardments there, targeting Hezbollah militants. Meanwhile, tit-for-tat attacks between Israel and Iran have further escalated tensions, fanning fears of a wider regional war.

On Thursday, Nakatani attended NATO's defense ministerial meeting in Brussels along with representatives from Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, as the trans-Atlantic alliance has been stepping up cooperation with the four Indo-Pacific partners amid Beijing's rise in the region.