At this year’s Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ meeting, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is aiming to place the country as an energy focal point between Europe and Africa. The first themes to be discussed at the initial G7 session include Africa, climate change, and development. It is predicted that events such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts will be prioritized, but Meloni aims to focus her policy on the “Mattei Plan.” This plan includes the distribution of gas from Africa and the Mediterranean by Italy to the rest of Europe. Additionally, it would support Africa’s economic growth in an attempt to slow mass migration from Africa to Europe. However, the prime minister appears to be concentrating on obtaining investors, rather than developing Africa through partnerships with NGOs and humanitarian organizations. Africa contains around 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves. These are currently key resources as Western nations are moving away from using Russian gas due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/13/meloni-wants-to-present-italy-as-the-new-european-face-in-africa