Africa won’t build in a day. On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that she will co-chair, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a summit on 20 June in Rome to align Italy’s Mattei Plan with the EU’s Global Gateway initiative.
- The event will bring together African states participating in the Lobito Corridor alongside multilateral financial institutions.
- As geopolitical competition in Africa intensifies, Italy is leveraging the Mattei Plan to cement its leadership in Europe-Africa relations.
- The Rome summit aims to present finalised projects and push forward joint infrastructure and development initiatives in line with EU goals.
Decoding the news. Meloni made the announcement during the fourth Cabina di Regia (steering committee) of the Mattei Plan, held on Monday at Palazzo Chigi.
- The summit builds on a 27 March conference in Rome with over 400 participants from public institutions, financial entities, and the private sector.
- Discussions will cover physical and digital infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and vocational training.
State of the play. Meloni outlined three strategic pillars driving the plan’s recent progress.
- Geographic Expansion: The Mattei Plan has extended its pilot projects from 9 to 14 countries with the recent inclusion of Angola, Ghana, Mauritania, Senegal, and Tanzania.
- This reflects its “incremental approach,” which aims to scale up responsibly while ensuring on-the-ground impact.
- Financial Tools: Italy has activated a Multi-Financial Fund with the African Development Bank and signed a co-financing agreement with the World Bank.
- These mechanisms are expected to produce a strong leverage effect on Italian public funds invested in Africa.
- Climate Synergy: The Italian Climate Fund is now directly linked to the Mattei Plan’s objectives — a step Meloni says is already delivering concrete results.
Zoom in: Flagship projects. Italy’s strategy is already translating into high-impact projects across key African nations.
- In Algeria, a centre for youth training named after Enrico Mattei is operational, and 7,000 of 36,000 hectares of desert land have been cultivated to boost food sovereignty.
- In Tunisia, the TANIT project is repurposing wastewater for agriculture in semi-desert areas.
- In September, a national training initiative will launch in partnership with Confindustria, tailored to the occupational needs of Italian companies operating in or with Africa.
Partnerships in motion. Italy is collaborating with the United States on the Lobito Corridor and has established new public-private agreements with Gulf countries for joint operations in Africa.
- The EU’s €150 billion Global Gateway strategy is a key alignment point for the Mattei Plan, underscoring the importance of coordinated European efforts.
What they’re saying. “The Mattei Plan is a national strategic interest that’s increasingly valued by African nations — and not just African nations,” said Meloni.
- “Stronger ministerial missions to Africa and deeper collaboration with the EU are essential to achieving our shared goals.”
What we’re watching. Rome is positioning itself at the heart of Euro-African cooperation by combining domestic strategy, EU integration, and transcontinental diplomacy.
- The 20 June summit will mark a decisive step in shaping a more coherent, scalable, and impactful European presence in Africa via Italy.
