Italy summit to present vision for African development - PM

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 28 - The aim of the Italy-Africa summit underway in Rome is to present Italy's idea of development for the African continent based on the Mattei Plan, Premier Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday, "The objective is to present to African countries our vision of development for Africa, which is the basis of the Mattei Plan," Meloni told TG1 on the eve of a conference at the Senate with the participation of 25 African leaders and representatives of the European Union institutions, referring to the planned new strategic partnership with African countries to address the root causes of irregular migration and beat smuggling gangs, and which also seeks to turn Italy into a sort of hub for energy supplies from Africa to Europe as the continent tries to reduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas supplies after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
    It is, said the premier, a "new approach: not predatory, not paternalistic, but not charitable either".
    Rather, the idea is to work together "as equals, to grow together", she continued.
    Meloni said Italy has "established priority subjects and pilot countries in which to launch the first projects", adding that "the benefits for Italy are countless". "Everything that happens in Africa concerns us, from migration to security and supply chains. For us, the proper development of the African continent is fundamental," she insisted.
    On migration, Meloni said that "the European approach has completely changed". "When we arrived in government the discussion was only about how to redistribute irregular migrants; today the discussion is only about how to defend the external borders, and this is our merit," she continued.
    "I think the approach we have taken with Tunisia is the right one; we are starting to see the initial results, but it is a huge task that has to be performed day by day, and we must not let up." said Meloni, referring to the memorandum brokered by Italy and signed by the EU and Tunisia in mid-July to promote cooperation and financial assistance in the areas of macro-economic stability, trade and investment, green energy transition, people-to people contacts, and migration, with a view to halting the irregular flows.
    "What we have done in Tunisia must be replicated with other nations and we are working on it," she added.
    Overall Italy saw a 50% rise in arrivals of migrants and refugees by sea from north Africa in 2023 compared to the previous year, although after the summer the numbers began to let up.
    The Italy-Africa summit opened on Sunday evening with an official dinner hosted by the President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome. (ANSA).