Rome hosts Africa summit. On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen co-chaired the summit “The Mattei Plan for Africa and the Global Gateway” at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome.
- Meloni called the event “a fundamental step in the internationalisation of the Mattei Plan,” noting a “methodological shift” in how Europe engages Africa—not “top-down initiatives,” but “concrete projects shaped by dialogue and shared development goals.”
- Italy’s flagship initiative is now formally integrated into the EU’s Global Gateway, extending its reach across India, the Middle East, and Africa.
A piece of Global Gateway. Von der Leyen praised Italy’s leadership, describing the Mattei Plan as “a perfect example” of how the EU’s €300 billion Global Gateway programme is taking shape—€150 billion of which is earmarked for Africa.
- She announced new EU–Africa investment agreements aimed at unlocking private capital, highlighting that Europe is stepping up while others are cutting.
- The European Commission and Italy will also co-finance the expansion of the Blue Raman fibre-optic cable from Djibouti to Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania—linking East Africa to digital hubs across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.
Here’s where things stand. Italy has now entered the full implementation phase of its two-year-old Africa strategy.
- The focus is on multilayer internationalisation—Brussels drives the institutional agenda, but ambitions reach beyond Europe.
- Washington has long encouraged aligning the Mattei Plan with the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure.
- The transatlantic link remains key, particularly for projects like the Lobito Corridor, which aims to connect Africa’s east and west coasts through a rare-earth supply chain, reducing dependence on China.
Big push on Lobito. The summit marked the signing of 11 strategic agreements and the launch of Italy’s first tranche of funding for the Lobito Corridor.
- Italy will provide $270 million in loans—via state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and export credit agency SACE—to the Africa Finance Corporation for the construction of an 800-km railway from Chingola (Zambia) to Luacano (Angola), followed by a $50 million equity investment.
- The wider project has already attracted around $4 billion from the United States, which views it as a priority for securing critical minerals and countering Beijing’s influence.
A new AI Hub. The same day, Rome launched the AI Hub for Sustainable Development at the UNDP headquarters—one of the flagship initiatives under Italy’s 2024 G7 presidency.
- Business Minister Adolfo Urso explained the hub is backed by G7 partners and major Western tech companies, and will promote UN-led development programmes.
- The aim is to involve up to 500,000 African startups in its first three years.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith called the hub “an important step forward for the Mattei Plan, for the people of Italy and for people in Africa.” AI, he said, “will bring new opportunities for economic development, prosperity—and I think that’s a good thing for everyone.”
Zoom out. Launched in 2023 by India, the EU, the Gulf and the US, the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC) is designed to connect Asia to the Mediterranean via Africa’s eastern axis.
- Italy, thanks to its geography and strategy, can complement IMEC through the Mattei Plan—bringing infrastructure on one hand, and social development on the other.
- India’s approach to Africa differs from China’s: less debt, more equity, and a focus on human capital and light manufacturing.
- This model aligns closely with the Mattei Plan’s cooperative framework, opening up space for joint engagement in third countries.
Toward the Gulf. The Rome summit also underscored an emerging Italy–EU axis increasingly in sync with Gulf partners.
- This alignment could deepen with the expected election of Sidi Ould Tah—a Mauritanian backed by Gulf countries—as president of the African Development Bank.
- It paves the way for a multilayered cooperation framework involving Italy, the EU, the Gulf, and African financial institutions.
What we’re watching. Feedback from African delegations at the summit highlighted three key needs: stronger governance, sharper financial tools, and real implementation.
- Italy now faces the challenge of turning political momentum into multilateral impact.
- With China’s presence firmly entrenched across Africa, the Rome summit showed that a coordinated effort between Europe, India, and the US could offer a credible and sustainable alternative.
