The so-called Mattei Plan, named after the late Enrico
Mattei who founded Italian energy giant Eni in the 1950s, has been billed as a
cornerstone of Meloni's foreign policy as she looks to enhance Rome's
diplomatic footprint.
More than 20 heads of state and government will be in Rome
for the event, which kicks off with a dinner on Sunday ahead of the official
summit on Monday where Meloni will present Italy as the natural bridge between
Africa and Europe.
While the details of the plan have been kept secret, Italy
has said it wants to serve as a transit hub for African energy while
stimulating investment in an effort to curb illegal immigration across the
Mediterranean.
"What needs to be done in Africa is to build
cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals, not predators,"
Meloni told a news conference this month.
"What needs to be done in Africa is to defend the right
not to have to emigrate ... and this is done with investments and a
strategy," she said, promising that Africa would be a priority for Italy
during its current presidency of the Group of Seven.
The prime minister is set to outline an array of projects on
Monday ranging from health and education to infrastructure and agriculture,
with energy lying at the heart of the plan.
Rome has also said that 70% of its climate fund – an
investment programme to promote international environmental projects – would be
allocated to Africa.
CASH STRAPPED
One of the problems Meloni faces is that heavily indebted
Italy does not have the funds needed to become a major player in Africa, where
China, Russia and Arab states have grown increasingly assertive.
"It would be foolish to think you can compete with
China, the United Arab Emirates, or even Turkey," said Arturo Varvelli,
director of the Rome office of the European Council on Foreign Relations
think-tank.
"To make sense, this will have to fit into a broader
picture of existing European Union initiatives," he said.
Highlighting Italy's reliance on EU support, the presidents
of the European Commission, Council and parliament are all expected in Rome for
the summit.
Meloni will also lean heavily on the corporate sector, with
state-controlled Eni certain to play a prominent role. Founder Mattei expanded
Italy's presence in Africa, presenting his company as a friendly alternative to
U.S. and French oil majors.
Taking advantage of Russia's exclusion from the European
energy market following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Rome has said it should
serve as an energy gateway transporting natural gas and hydrogen from Africa to
its EU partners.
But climate change experts question the wisdom of sinking
significant new investments into gas infrastructure when existing projects
already guarantee Italy's energy security.
Climate think-tank Ecco said Italy should focus instead on
renewable energy, estimating that Africa held about 60% of all the world's
suitable areas for solar electricity production.
"So far, however, renewable energies have received only
a fraction of the attention and funding compared to gas projects," it
wrote in a report this week.
Meloni is not the first Italian leader to seek better ties
with Africa and draw a veil over Italy's fraught colonial legacy, which Rome
has never wanted to confront.
But since taking office in 2022, she has put greater focus
on the region than most of predecessors, seeing economic cooperation as the
best way to stem a surge of migrant arrivals.
"My goal is to work in Africa and block the departures
in Africa," she said this month.
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