Italian Premier Unveils Development Plan for Africa at Summit

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni opened a summit of African leaders to showcase Italy’s development plan for Africa, which aims to stem migration flows, diversify energy sources, and establish a new relationship between Europe and Africa.

The plan received a cautious reception initially, with African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressing concerns that African countries would have liked to have been consulted before Italy rolled out its plan.

The summit included two dozen African leaders, top European Union and United Nations officials, and representatives from international lending institutions.

Italy has been promoting its development plan as a way to create security and economic conditions that will create jobs in Africa and discourage its young people from making dangerous migrations across the Mediterranean Sea.

Meloni outlined pilot projects in individual countries that would enable Africa to become a major exporter of energy to Europe, helping wean it off its dependence on Russian energy following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The government’s plan, named after Enrico Mattei, seeks to expand cooperation with Africa beyond energy but in a non-predatory way. The summit marks the first time it is under the head of state or government level.