Italy–Africa Summit in Addis Aims to Refine, Strengthen Mattei Plan

ADDIS ABABA, February 13, 2026 (ENA) — The goal of the 2nd Italy–Africa Summit is not to celebrate past achievements but to collectively improve the effectiveness of the Mattei Plan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said today.

The Mattei Plan, launched by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, aims to redefine Italy’s engagement with Africa through a strategic blend of political vision, development cooperation, and economic diplomacy.

Framed as a non- predatory alternative to traditional models, the Plan seeks to position Italy as a credible and constructive partner by promoting co-creation with African stakeholders and delivering concrete, results-oriented projects.

Speaking at the 2nd Italy–Africa Summit in Addis Ababa, the PM stressed that the goal of this summit is not to celebrate what is done so far, but to think together about what we can still do to make the party plan be even more efficient, more pragmatic and more consistent with the needs of the countries involved.

According to her, the initiative’s success depends on continuous listening and adaptation.

“Because if that's one thing that we've learned over the past few years is that the success of this initiative depends on our ability to keep listening, our ability to be ready, to fine tune our approach by learning from our mistakes drawing inspiration from African wisdom,” she noted.

PM Meloni said no track can be drawn without meeting stones on our path. It is thanks to those stones and rocks that we can walk and move forward.

The progress made so far should therefore be seen as a foundation for further cooperation, she added.

“We want to continue in this direction, being aware that the results that we have achieved are not the end point, but are seeds that have been sown to have a richer and more thriving crop.”

Highlighting Italy’s approach, the premier stated: “Our goal is not that of creating new dependencies, but to support the protagonism of the African peoples.”

She also emphasized that Italy seeks partnership built on mutual respect.

“We want to build things together. We want to find solutions together with humbleness and with respect,” the Prime Minister said.

The Second Italy–Africa Summit is reviewing progress under the Mattei Plan and setting operational priorities for future cooperation in areas including energy, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and private sector development.