Antonio Tajani and Massad Boulos's meeting at the Farnesina strengthens the Rome-Washington axis across four critical fronts: Libya, Gaza, Lebanon, and the Horn of Africa. It comes ahead of the UN General Assembly in September.
Decoding the news. Massad Boulos, the Trump administration’s special advisor for Africa and the Middle East, underscores Washington’s intention to follow the Mediterranean theatre more closely, with Italy as a privileged interlocutor.
- The Mattei Plan—designed to combine economic development and security—provides a natural platform for convergence with the United States.
What Rome brings to the table. Italy positions itself as an indispensable partner in managing crises across the broader Mediterranean and as the architect of a structured cooperation framework with Africa through the Mattei Plan.
- Broader Mediterranean at the core: Rome views the stability of North Africa and the Middle East as a matter of national and European security.
- Transatlantic alignment: Washington sees Italy as a key ally in countering destabilising dynamics in Libya, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa.
- Balance on Gaza and Lebanon: Italy maintains a calibrated stance between support for Israel and defence of Palestinian rights, in line with the United States.
- Mattei Plan as strategic framework: a partnership instrument with Africa that Italy aims to elevate into a shared platform with the U.S., focusing on development, energy, and security.
Specific topics:
- Libya: Tajani reiterated the strategic importance of the Libyan dossier for European security, backing the UN roadmap advanced by Special Representative Tetteh.
- Gaza: Italy and the U.S. call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. After meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Aghabekian, Tajani reaffirmed support for a two-state solution.
- Lebanon: condemnation of Israeli attacks against UNIFIL peacekeepers, a mission in which Italy plays a leading role.
- Horn of Africa and Sahel: emphasis on stability, countering human trafficking, and strengthening partnerships under the Mattei Plan.
What we’re watching. Tajani and Boulos will meet again on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
- These issues will take centre stage at the Mediterranean Dialogues in Naples, a platform to consolidate Italy’s role as a bridge between North and South of the Mediterranean and to project the Mattei Plan onto the international stage.
