Italy-Africa Summit to be held in Rome

The opening of the summit, which will be held for the first time today in Rome under the title "Italy-Africa: A Bridge for Common Growth," took place with a dinner hosted by President Mattarella in honor of the visiting leaders at the presidential palace, the Quirinale, yesterday evening.

In his speech there, Mattarella said regarding the goals of the Italy-Africa Summit: "Our intention and hope is to be able to build a stronger and more structured relationship between the African continent and our country, following the intense dialogue that began in recent years with ministerial-level conferences between Italy and Africa."

Stating that they are facing common challenges, Mattarella expressed that Africa and Europe must work together to defend peace and the destiny of humanity.

Citing an African proverb, Mattarella said, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. If our path is to be a common path aimed at achieving the goals of prosperity and peace in Africa, in Europe, and in the world, we need to implement our wills collectively."

"PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE"

President Mattarella stated that the scope of potential cooperation between Italy, Europe, and Africa is broad.

Mattarella said that Italy is ready to offer its own contribution and do its part, starting with maintaining its financial commitment to Africa within the context of its G7 Presidency.

"The voice of African countries needs to find more and more space on international platforms," said Mattarella, expressing that the African Union's (AU) permanent membership in the G20 is an important milestone in this regard.

At the summit, which will begin in the morning at the Senate building in the capital Rome, it is expected that various issues between Italy, the EU, the AU, United Nations (UN) organizations, and African countries will be discussed, in addition to Italy-Africa relations.

At the summit, it is anticipated that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will share with the visiting leaders the details of the "Mattei Plan," which includes several development initiatives for Africa, particularly in energy, and is named after Enrico Mattei, an Italian businessman who died in a plane crash in 1962.

The summit is expected to conclude with a joint declaration to be released in the evening.

News Source: AA