Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni today opened a summit with African leaders, EU and UN officials, and representatives from across international lending institutions to unveil Italy’s development plan for Africa, months after she said Italy could not become “Europe’s refugee camp.”
The initiative’s key objective is to address migration issues, curbing migration into Italy and stopping dangerous journeys across the mediterranean sea. It also hopes to position Italy as a bridge between Africa and Europe, and carve out a new relationship between the two continents. Meloni, elected in 2022, has pledged to transform relations with African nations by adopting the “non-predatory” approach inspired by the late Enrico Mattei, the late Italian oil tycoon and founder of State-owned energy company Eni.
Taking to X as the summit opened in Rome, the Italian Premier said that the Italy-Africa Summit was the first international event that Italy has hosted since it assumed the presidency of the G7 (Group of 7) which rotates annually.
“The medium and long-term objective that we have set ourselves is to demonstrate that we are aware of how interconnected the destiny of our two continents, Europe and Africa, is. And that we can grow together,” Ms Meloni said.
“We want to build cooperation as equals to equals, in which Europe must reject the paternalistic approach that it has often demonstrated, far from any predatory temptation, but also from that “charitable” approach that is difficult to reconcile with its extraordinary potential for development of the continent,” she said.
The Mattei plan, presented today, is based on the pillars of education and training, health, agriculture, water and energy. It is an “ambitious but extremely concrete” plan, Meloni said, which is to start from pilot projects in some African nations before extending to the rest of the content. The plan seeks to position the country as a key link between Africa and Europe, funnelling energy North while investing in the south in exchange for deals which will seek to address migrant departures from African nations.
The comprehensive plan would receive initial funding of €5.5 billion euros, including loans and investments.
“An intervention plan with which we want to give our contribution to freeing African energies, also to guarantee the young African generations a right that has so far been denied: the right not to be forced to emigrate and cut off their roots,” Meloni said today in Rome.
She described Africa as a continent “rich in resources, both human and strategic, which can and must amaze.”
Il Vertice Italia-Africa è il primo appuntamento internazionale che l’Italia ospita da quando ha assunto la Presidenza del G7.
L’obiettivo, di medio e lungo periodo, che ci siamo dati è quello di dimostrare che siamo consapevoli di quanto il destino dei nostri due continenti,… pic.twitter.com/ENN8CZK0Ji
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 29, 2024
Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, meanwhile said that partnership was based on liberty and consensus, with neither side imposing anything.
Roberta Metsola, European parliament president, also told the summit that the relationship between Europe and Africa “must be characterised by a real partnership of equals.”
Despite Meloni being elected on a ticket which promised to address illegal immigration, Italy saw an increase in arrivals during her first year in power – with an estimated 160,000 people arriving on its shores last year according to reports.
Meloni’s government is also trying other approaches to address the migration burden, having entered into controversial agreements with individual countries to alleviate pressure. One such agreement is an EU-backed deal with Tunisia which seeks to reduce migrants departing for Europe
An EU-backed deal with the African State of Tunisia, signed in July, aims to reduce migrants leaving for Europe through economic development projects and legal migration opportunities. A bilateral deal with Albania also involves establishing centres in Albania to process asylum applications for migrants rescued at sea, reflecting the multifaceted approach Italy is adopting to address migration concerns.
It came just months before the arrival of 10,000 migrants from North Africa on the small Italian resort island of Lampedusa in September, all within a number of days.
While Italy had “no clear plan” for what to do with the thousands of migrants desperate to enter Europe, Meloni insisted that she would not let Italy become “Europe’s refugee camp.” She said her country was under “incredible pressure” due to the large number of arrivals from north Africa, after the move prompted France to tighten controls on its border with Italy.
The Italian leader rejected criticism of the deal, telling the UN assembly that “it is a model to use with other nations too”.
During a visit to the island as the crisis unfolded, Meloni said that the “future of Europe is at stake” unless EU countries worked together to establish “serious solutions,” as she reiterated her promise to address illegal immigration.
Speaking today, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said that there was a need to get concrete about cooperation, adding that “interests are aligned more than ever before” – while president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said countries were “joining forces on concrete projects that will make a real difference to people’s lives — in energy, security, and resilience.”