Two tracks shape the agenda:
- Peace, security, governance, multilateralism
- Prosperity, people, migration, mobility
A joint declaration is expected to set the common path.
Why it matters: The summit tests the EU’s ability to remain a credible actor in Africa as geopolitical pressure rises and multiple crises converge in the Sahel, the Horn, and the Red Sea. African governments seek greater influence in multilateral settings and clearer commitments on security, fiscal resilience, climate, and mobility.
State of play: The EU operates 12 CSDP missions on the continent and supports partners through the European Peace Facility. Coordination continues on UN reform, the Pact for the Future, G20 processes, and climate finance.
- The EU is Africa’s top trade partner and largest investor. The €150 billion Global Gateway remains the main financial framework.
- Academic mobility has expanded significantly since 2022, with tens of thousands of exchanges funded.
Behind the scenes: The summit follows a separate EU leaders’ session on Ukraine, underscoring Europe’s constrained bandwidth. Angola uses the platform to reinforce its diplomatic profile.
Italy’s angle. For Rome, the meeting in Luanda is a stage to reaffirm the direction of the Mattei Plan – the Africa strategy – and position it as entirely consistent with the EU’s Global Gateway. Palazzo Chigi stresses a peer-to-peer, operational, stability-oriented approach.
- Italian priorities remain stable:
- Infrastructure and connectivity;
- Energy and agriculture;
- Security and governance cooperation
To the topics: These are topics that PM Meloni recently discussed with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and with the President of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, during the meetings held in Rome on June 20, along with representatives of African nations from the region.
- Italy considers it particularly significant to develop this dialogue in Angola, which has been among the focus nations of the Mattei Plan since January, with which a partnership has been initiated in various sectors, including infrastructure — with Italian support for the Lobito railway corridor — and agriculture.
Security First. The Luanda Summit therefore represents an important opportunity to reaffirm, together with the 27, the common commitment to consolidating stability and security on the African continent. Italy contributes with resources and expertise to European efforts through missions and civil and military support operations in the main instability theaters.
- A commitment that complements the investments promoted by the Mattei Plan and the Global Gateway, with the awareness that without security, it is not possible to promote truly shared growth, Italian government sources explained.
What’s next: The final declaration is expected to cover security, global governance reform, infrastructure investment, and migration.
