The summit, entitled "The Mattei Plan for Africa and the Global Gateway: A common effort with the African continent", will bring together the head of government of Italy, the president of the EU executive, the president of Angola, who is also the acting president of the African Union (from last February to February next year), leaders of Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, as well as institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB).
The aim of the summit is to strengthen partnerships with Africa, creating conditions that reduce forced migration and promote sustainable development, aligning two strategies: the so-called Mattei Plan, proposed by Italy last year, and the "Global Gateway" initiative of the European Union, both focused on joint projects with African countries in the areas of energy, agriculture, education and vocational training.
The Mattei Plan – named after Enrico Mattei, founder of Eni (the Italian state-owned energy giant), who in the 1950s advocated a cooperative relationship with African countries that involved helping them develop their natural resources – was formalized at a summit in Rome in January 2024, when Italy was chairing the G7, and has a budget of 5.5 billion euros in loans, grants and guarantees.
Among the main initiatives of this plan is the Lobito Corridor, an 830-kilometer railway structure that will link the port of the Angolan city that gives it its name to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, creating a regional logistics hub for the transport of minerals and agricultural products.
The "Global Gateway", launched in 2021, is a 150 billion euro investment package that aims to boost sustainable investments based on the priorities and needs of African countries.
The European Commission believes that the Italian plan can be articulated and complementary to its initiative, with one of the objectives of the Rome summit being to “consolidate the synergy” between the two strategies and “deepen the operational path” for advancing joint initiatives, according to sources from the Italian government.
Just two days after participating in this summit in Rome – which will take place from 11 am local time (10 am in Luanda) – President João Lourenço will host, in Luanda, the 17th edition of the US-Africa Business Summit, the most important business forum between the United States and the African continent.
In a forum that will take place between Sunday and Wednesday, and which will also have the Lobito Corridor among its highlighted topics, more than 1,500 participants are expected, including heads of state, prime ministers, African ministers, senior US administration officials and business leaders from both continents.
