The Italian PM is set to meet President Xi Jinping later this month. She aims to balance strengthening economic ties with addressing geopolitical tensions. This follows her emphasis on Africa’s strategic importance and Italy’s broader foreign policy goals
During the recent G7 summit… Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sought to draw world leaders’ attention to the African continent’s strategic importance and urged greater cooperation with regional partners. This message was reiterated during the NATO 75th anniversary meeting in Washington.
- During the NATO summit on Wednesday, PM Meloni emphasised Russia and China’s growing influence in Africa and called for NATO and Europe to remain vigilant about their southern flank.
- Additionally, she highlighted pressing issues such as Russia’s weaponisation of migration flows, which has fueled anti-immigration sentiment in Europe and intensified political instability in the Sahel region.
- These efforts are part of a broader Italian foreign policy objective to assert Rome’s influence on the global stage. Through the Mattei Plan, Meloni aims to position Italy as a crucial bridge between the West and the rest of the world, reflecting a significant shift in Italy’s international engagement.
A special representative for the southern neighbourhood. According to a statement released on Wednesday, the NATO Secretary General will designate a special representative for the southern neighbourhood.
- The statement also highlighted the opportunities for cooperation in the southern neighbourhood and emphasised NATO’s aim to promote security and stability in the Middle East and Africa through partnerships.
- Italy proposed the appointment of this representative, which was approved in the final statement. This representative will serve as NATO’s main point of contact for the region and will coordinate the organisation’s efforts.
- Regarding this, PM Meloni, speaking to reporters, stated that the representation for the south and the partnerships made are “a clear indication of how well the Alliance understands its role in a complex system.”
Next stop: Beijing. Later this month, PM Meloni will travel to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first state visit since Italy withdrew from China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative.
- During her visit to China, PM Meloni will need to balance the goal of strengthening economic ties with China against growing tensions due to the tariff war with the United States and European Union and China’s role of Russia in the aggression of Ukraine.
- The visit was preceded by Minister of Business Adolfo Urso, who met with Chinese companies interested in investing in Italy’s green technology and electric mobility sectors.
