Brussels, Nov. 12 (LaPresse) – “The Mattei Plan is not just an Italian initiative, but by now a strategy with a European and international scope, with a far-reaching vision that is gaining increasing support,” said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a video message to the event ‘Mattei Plan for Africa and Global Gateway: A New Model for Europe-Africa Relations’ at the European Parliament. “Today, the Mattei Plan,” she added, “is no longer just an idea, but an operational reality that is producing concrete results. I would like to recall three key figures: the direct involvement of 14 African nations; over one billion euros already committed by Italy to projects on the African continent; and the synergy with the Global Gateway, worth more than 1.2 billion euros. This cooperation currently focuses on four major strategic initiatives: the construction of the Lobito infrastructure corridor, linking West and East Africa through Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia; the development of coffee production chains in several African countries; the extension of the Blue Raman cable toward East Africa – a submarine backbone that will connect India to European economies via the Middle East and the Mediterranean; and the AI Hub for Sustainable Development in Rome, which will involve hundreds of African start-ups to apply artificial intelligence to the various sectors of the Plan.”