Meloni Pledges Deeper Ties, Tackling Migration at 2nd Africa- Italy Summit

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, right, and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pose for a picture during their meeting at Palazzo Chigi in Rome, Monday, May 26, 2025.

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Addis Ababa on Friday for the second Italy-Africa Summit, the first held on African soil, reaffirming Rome's strategic pivot toward investment-led cooperation with the continent under its Mattei Plan.

Addressing dozens of African leaders, Meloni declared Italy has "no interest in exploiting migration to obtain cheap labour" for its production systems.

Instead, she committed to combating the factors forcing young Africans to leave their homelands, preventing them from contributing to their nations' development.

The Mattei plan: from aid to investment

The summit reviews progress under Italy's Mattei Plan, launched in 2024 to shift from traditional aid to investment-led cooperation.

With nearly 100 projects across 14 African nations, the initiative targets critical sectors including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and digital development—all aimed at creating economic opportunities to stem irregular migration.

Ethiopia as a bridge between continents

Co-hosted alongside the African Union Summit, the forum underscores Addis Ababa's role as Africa's diplomatic capital.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed positioned his nation as a bridge for Africa-Europe collaboration, reinforcing bilateral ties through repeated high-level engagements with Meloni in recent months.