The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, co-chaired the high-level event 'The Mattei Plan for Africa and Global Gateway: A common effort with the African Continent' in Rome. The event was attended by African Authorities from Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia, including the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union. The event was also attended by the heads of international financial institutions, namely the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation.
The European Commission and Italy reaffirmed their strategic partnership under the framework of the EU's Global Gateway strategy and the Mattei Plan for Africa to work with Africa to realise the shared vision for sustainable growth, resilience, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The European Commission and Italy underscored their commitment to mobilising transformative investments along strategic economic corridors, with a focus on the Lobito Corridor. The Lobito Corridor is recognised as a transformative regional project – in addition to a railway development project, it is also a broader economic corridor that will connect landlocked resource-rich regions of Southern Africa to global markets, including Europe. Collective efforts including the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding by Angola, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the EU, United States, Italy and African Development Bank and the Africa Financial Corporation, ensure the Corridor is positioned as a high-impact vector of sustainable development. The Leaders reaffirmed their intention to accelerate investments across interconnected sectors, including transport infrastructure, energy systems, agricultural value chains, and trade facilitation – driven by a 360° approach that empowers local economies and promotes inclusive regional integration.
In this context, the EU and Italy jointly welcomed the growing alignment between the Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan, and emphasised the importance of a coherent Team Europe approach, including enhanced coordination with international financial institutions such as the African Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation. The Leaders recognised the critical role of the private sector in delivering the next phase of Lobito, stressing the importance of scalable, climate-aligned, and commercially viable investments.
The Leaders committed to advancing trilateral cooperation in sustainable agriculture, focusing on climate-resilient value chains like coffee. A new initiative – under the Global Gateway and Mattei Plan – will strengthen East Africa's coffee sector through regional integration and the engagement of the Italian private sector. Promoted by Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and supported by UNIDO, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and key multilateral partners, the initiative will use targeted financial tools and explore the deployment of insurance schemes to boost resilience and benefit local communities. In this context, the EU is signing today a guarantee with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to accelerate the development of sustainable agrifood systems through capacity building and access to innovative finance under the TERRA initiative (Transforming and Empowering Resilient and Responsible Agribusiness), with a contribution of €109 million.
On the digital front, the Leaders underscored the strategic potential of the Blue Raman submarine Cable. The initiative – co-funded with a contribution of €37 million by the European Commission and supported by Italian digital infrastructure leader Sparkle – will enhance connectivity, stimulate research and innovation, and support technological convergence between Europe, Africa, and India. The project involves key research and education networks, including GEANT for Europe and the UbuntuNet Alliance for Africa, and benefits from the technical expertise of the European Investment Bank (EIB). It was highlighted as a strong example of how the Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan can support the emergence of Africa as a key digital actor through the reinforcement of its digital infrastructure. Today, an agreement was reached to mobilise private sector investments in key sectors such as digital connectivity, renewable energy and transport in Sub-Saharan Africa through the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti renewable infrastructure & sustainable energy programme (RISE) with a contribution of €137 million.
In addition, the Leaders welcomed the establishment of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, a flagship initiative launched under the Italian G7 Presidency. This initiative, promoted by Italy's Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also supported by the European Commission. The Hub will offer training opportunities to young Africans, promote inclusive access to emerging technologies, and foster cross-continental collaboration in research and innovation in artificial intelligence. The Commission will strengthen this approach through its action, for example through the 'Generative AI in Africa' and AI for public good activities. The European Commission's decision to join the Hub's governing board reflects a shared commitment to ensuring no nation or community is left behind in the AI revolution. This commitment is further demonstrated by the ongoing cooperation between EU AI Factories, leveraging Europe's supercomputing power, with African partners, strengthening their AI model training capabilities. During the summit, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith announced the company's commitment to support the AI Hub, contributing to the Mattei Plan's ambition of leapfrogging Africa's digital capacity.
The event also witnessed the signing of a Letter of Intent regarding energy connectivity initiatives synergised by the European Commission, Italy, and the World Bank Group in the African continent.
The Leaders agreed to review progress of the strategic partnership under the framework of the EU's Global Gateway strategy and the Mattei Plan for Africa at the Global Gateway Forum on 9-10 October 2025 in Brussels.
Together, the Leaders reaffirmed their shared ambition to deliver impactful partnerships, drive high-quality investments, and unlock opportunities for African-led sustainable growth – anchored in mutual respect, long-term collaboration, and shared prosperity.
The overall value of the EU-Italy shared commitments towards the African continent announced at the summit amounted to €1.2 billion.
