Italy PM Giorgia Meloni seeks new partnership with African nations
On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a long-awaited proposal to strengthen economic relations, establish an energy hub for Europe, and reduce immigration, and she called for a new engagement with Africa.
More than two dozen African presidents and representatives of the European Union attended the one-day meeting where Meloni gave a speech and announced a number of initiatives, including state guarantees and an initial commitment of 5.5 billion euros ($5.95 billion).
“We believe it is possible to envision and write a new chapter in the history of our relationship, a cooperation among equals, far from any predatory imposition or charitable stance towards Africa,” Meloni said in an opening speech.
Some in attendance, including Moussa Faki Mahamat, the head of the African Union Commission, expressed disapproval of the proposal, stating that Africa should have been consulted first.
“I want to insist here on the need to move from words to actions. You can well understand that we can no longer be satisfied with mere promises that are often not kept,” he said, standing alongside Meloni in Italy’s ornate Senate.
The presidents of Senegal, Kenya, the Republic of Congo, Tunisia, and Somalia were among the African dignitaries in attendance. Forty-five African states were represented at different levels overall.
Critics claim that Italy, with its massive debt, has little chance of competing with countries like China, Russia, and the Gulf states, all of whom are attempting to increase their influence in Africa, the continent that has the majority of the world’s natural resources.
Though the initiative has the name of Rome’s late founder, Enrico Mattei, who established the state oil corporation Eni, Meloni stated that her government would seek assistance from the private sector as well as foreign organizations like the European Union.
Since taking power in late 2022, Meloni has made the Mattei plan a cornerstone of her foreign policy.
The initiative’s main focus is energy; Rome hopes to provide as a doorway into European markets for natural gas from Africa, which has become essential since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the EU to prioritize supply diversification.
Eni, the biggest natural gas importer in Italy, has already retaliated against decreased Russian supplies by bringing in more gas from Africa, where it has been present for many years.
The business has stated that for the foreseeable future, Italy’s primary gas suppliers will be Algeria, Egypt, and Libya.
However, Meloni also stated that in order to keep disgruntled young Africans from moving north, Europe needed to support industry and agriculture in Africa in order to boost local economies.
The greatest number of boat migrants to enter Italy since 2016 was approximately 157,600 last year, contradicting Meloni’s election-year promise to stop the influx of undocumented immigrants.
The majority left North African nations like Tunisia and Libya, with many escaping the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa’s poverty and violence.
(With agency inputs)
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