Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-01-29 19:17:12
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni launched the Italy-Africa summit with the aim of presenting Italy’s development plan for the continent, which the government believes will help reduce migration flows. In 2021, a total of 155,754 individuals arrived on Italian shores, with over half of them being of African descent.
The summit in Rome was attended by more than 20 African leaders, including William Ruto of Kenya, as well as top European Union and United Nations officials, along with representatives from international lending institutions.
The Italian plan, named after Enrico Mattei, the founder of the state-controlled oil and gas giant Eni, aims to position Italy as the natural energy supply hub for all of Europe, particularly after the EU prohibited Russian energy supplies following the war in Ukraine. In addition to energy cooperation, the Mattei plan also includes pilot projects in education, healthcare, and agriculture in collaboration with Africa.
Meloni announced Italy’s commitment of an initial 5.5 billion euros ($5.95 billion) for the plan, which includes public guarantees for investment projects and 3 billion euros from a climate fund established in 2021. Addressing the issue of migration, Meloni emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes that drive individuals to leave their homes in order to defeat human traffickers.
In her speech, Meloni highlighted the interconnected fate of the continents and advocated for a relationship of equality and partnership with Africa, free from exploitation or a patronizing approach. She emphasized the significance of Africa’s future in relation to the future of Italy and stressed the mutual dependency of the two continents.
The summit was covered by additional sources including Agenzia Nova.
