ROME, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Monday pledged around 5.5 billion euros (5.96 billion U.S. dollars) to support its initiatives to help economic development in Africa, as part of a wider strategy to reduce the flow of migrants from Africa to Europe.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the Mattei Plan -- named after Italian industrialist Enrico Mattei, who played a key role in Italy's economic development following World War II -- "a new strategic partnership with African nations."
The plan aims to transform Italy into a kind of regional energy hub while speeding up the development of African economies and slowing the arrival of migrants in Europe.
Meloni made the remarks during the first Italy-Africa summit held on Monday at Italy's Senate in Rome with around two dozen African leaders, alongside top figures from the European Union and the United Nations.
According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 270,000 migrant arrivals on Europe's Mediterranean shores were recorded in 2023, the highest one-year total since 2016. The vast majority of those migrants departed from Africa and more than half came to Europe via Italy.
The initial layout of 5.5 billion euros will come from Italy's climate fund and development cooperation fund, Meloni said. Those funds will be used to underwrite specific pilot projects such as vocational training and health care reforms in various African nations.
At the summit, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the African side would have liked to be consulted on the strategies in the Mattei Plan.
"I insist on the need to move from words to deeds," he said. "We can no longer be content with promises, which are often unfulfilled."
Meloni said further steps will be made amid collaboration between the various nations and multilateral groups involved.
"Italy is taking precise foreign policy decisions," she said, noting that efforts toward greater African development will have "a place of honor" on the agenda of the Group of Seven nations this year. Italy will hold the rotating presidency of the G7 until Dec. 31. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar) ■
