Why it matters. The statements by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the fifth summit between Italy and Algeria reaffirmed the centrality of the planning and implementation of energy and digital corridors between Europe and North Africa, strategic interconnections between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
- The theme of connectivity, as underlined by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, sees “Italy as a bridge” between Brussels and North Africa, wanting to expand the digital and energy connection networks with the IMEC corridor up to India, crossing Africa.
The State of the art. New projects will soon be developed, but digital and energy connectivity between Italy, Europe, Africa and India today relies on several flagships infrastructures.
- BlueMed, the new subsea cable system developed to link Europe with the Middle East, Africa, and India.
- Medusa, an ambitious 7,100-kilometer submarine cable project linking Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Cyprus to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt
All these infrastructures, together with Elmed, Transmed, and GreenStream, create a network that makes Italy a natural hub for energy and digital integration between India, Africa, and Europe.
What we’re watching. Today, submarine cables carry 99% of global internet traffic, underpinning $10 trillion in daily financial transactions. But tor Brussels, this is more than connectivity:
- It’s a geopolitical lever to cement influence in Africa and counter Sino-Russian advances through cooperation, security, and sustainable investment.
- The EU sees Mediterranean projects, from IMEC to Italy’s Mattei Plan, as vital to building a resilient bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
