(Adnkronos) – Italy is moving ahead with its multi-billion euro Mattei plan to accelerate Africa’s economic growth, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Monday, announcing he will visit Egypt later this month.
“We are moving forward on the Mattei plan, we are working on it,” Tajani said on the sidelines of the ‘Africa, Womb of the World: Italy at the helm of relations with the EU’ conference in Rome.
“Promoting Africa’s growth is part of our history in the continent,” Tajani went on.
Tajani is set to visit Egypt on 17 February, he said.
“We are organizing a series of visits to the African continent,” Tajani added.
As part of the 6 billion euro Mattei plan, Italy’s CDP state lender in December inked a 400 million euro co-financing agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The accord covers climate finance, sustainable farming, education and technical assistance, according to AfDB, which announced the deal at its Africa Investment Forum in Rabat on 5 December.
The government unveiled the Mattei blueprint last year to boost Africa’s development in five main sectors: education and training; agriculture; health; water; and energy – with the aim of making Italy an energy hub to transport natural gas to the rest of Europe.
Presenting the Mattei plan last January, premier Giorgia Meloni said the government was also hoping to involve the European Union, other nations and international financial institutions in funding the plan.
