Meloni and Von Der Leyen to Co-Chair Summit on Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa

Rome: Premier Giorgia Meloni will have a summit with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa in Rome on June 20th, Meloni said Monday. “On June 20, we plan to host a Piano Mattei-Global Gateway summit in Rome that I will co-chair with President von der Leyen in the presence of some African states involved in the Lobito corridor together with multilateral financial institutions to seal the work done so far and which will also be an opportunity to announce the conclusion of new projects”, said Giorgia Meloni in a speech at the Mattei Plan Control Room.

According to Ansa News Agency, Meloni explained that in the report to Parliament, “we focused on the internationalization of the Plan” and reiterated that achieving the ambitious results set for the inclusive growth of the African continent requires collaboration with partners. Meloni emphasized the importance of common work with the European Union and the creation of synergies with the European Global Gateway, which has committed 150 billion euros for Africa.

Italy has earmarked hundreds of millions of euros for the first projects in its ambitious Mattei Plan for development in African countries, aiming to deter migrants from leaving for Italy and Europe. The multi-year plan seeks to create a new partnership with African countries to address the root causes of irregular migration and turn Italy into a hub for energy supplies in Europe.