Receiving the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen today at Villa Doria Pamphilj, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aims to take a new "fundamental step" in the internationalization of the Mattei Plan for Africa. "Since the beginning of the launch of this strategy, we have been aware that to achieve the ambitious goals we had set ourselves, it was necessary to work in synergy with international partners, starting with the European Commission," Meloni said at the opening of "The Mattei Plan for Africa and the Global Gateway: A common effort with the African Continent".

The government's intention is to "offer concrete answers to the priorities expressed by African nations", added the prime minister, mentioning "contribution in strategic infrastructures such as the Lobito Corridor that will connect the West to the East of the African continent. I am thinking of secure and modern digital connections", continued Meloni , "with Sparkle's Blue Raman cable that will project itself towards Africa, I am thinking of an ethical promotion of the opportunities that come from artificial intelligence with the Center for Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development that was inaugurated in Rome this morning, together with the relaunch of agricultural and local supply chains with investments in coffee processing and sustainable agriculture".

For Meloni , these are not "top-down initiatives" but "concrete projects that were born from dialogue, that were born from the desire to create lasting development together with our African partners. The approach that Italy has implemented is clear: respect, responsibility, vision. It is a change of method in relations between Europe and Africa and I am proud that Italy has participated in impressing this vision".

The Prime Minister then reiterated the objective of consolidating "a model that started from listening and was translated into operational tools, into mobilized resources, into new and concrete opportunities also for our businesses, including small and medium-sized businesses, because we believe that Africa is a continent where our future is at stake, that strengthening Africa also means strengthening Europe, building together the conditions for common stability".

The synergy between the Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan "highlights the EU's commitment to investing in Africa's future as Team Europe, promoting sustainable development, economic growth and job creation", reads a note from the European Commission. "The EU's Global Gateway mobilises €150 billion of investments in Africa by 2027. We are already driving progress by investing in renewable energy, transport, digital infrastructure, healthcare and sustainable value chains. Today's event strengthens our partnership by promoting transformative investments across Africa".