The role of the Italian private sector in Plan Mattei

The CEOs of Eni, Mundys and Terna presented Italy’s strategic approach to Africa through Plan Mattei, highlighting the importance of partnerships and investments for long-term economic growth. As part of the plan, Minister Urso is in Eritrea to strengthen bilateral ties

Business point of view. According to Claudio Descalzi, CEO of the Italian oil company Eni, Italy must take risks and enter into partnerships with African countries to stimulate long-term investment and promote structural growth. In his speech today in Milan, he outlined Italy’s new approach to the African continent under Plan Mattei, highlighting the key role private sector.

• Giampiero Massolo, CEO of Mundys (formerly Atlantia), the Italian infrastructure group, noted that Mattei’s plan could only work with broader coordination at EU level or with international partners. “We need to present a plan to Europe,” said Massolo, former secretary general of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and director general of the Italian intelligence community (Dipartimento delle informazioni per la sicurezza).
• For this reason, the Italian government is already working to complement Plan Mattei with a broader framework of European development initiatives, including Horizon Europe.
• As the current chairman of the G7, Italy highlighted the Mattei Plan in the G7 summit’s final communiqué, linking it to other initiatives such as the US-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.

Energy at the center. Analyzing the energy market, Descalzi noted that “the world has already determined its place according to the energy it has.” He noted that America is self-sufficient, Russia has plenty of energy but lacks a market, while Europe has a market but does not consider energy on a global scale.

• Descalzi argued that Africa represented an excellent opportunity for Europe to secure energy supplies. However, he warned that the lack of a strategic forecast limits the potential for solid EU-Africa cooperation.
• In this context, Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO of the Italian electricity grid operator Terna, announced the launch of the “Terna Innovation Zone” in Tunisia in cooperation with the Tunisian company Steg, with which Terna will build the Elmed electricity connection. This project will be the first major project in a non-EU country to be approved for funding by the European Commission.

As part of Mattei Plan initiatives… Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister for Business and Made in Italy, arrived in Eritrea today for high-level discussions following his missions to Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

• He met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and key government ministers, including those overseeing foreign affairs, trade and industry, transport and telecommunications, and health, as well as the commissioner for culture and sports.
• This visit follows President Afwerki’s trip to Rome in January and the Eritrean government’s participation in the Italy-Africa Summit.
• The main objective of the Italian delegation is to strengthen bilateral relations and expand the activities of Italian companies in several key sectors, including healthcare, infrastructure, port logistics, air transport, renewable energy, mining, textiles, agriculture and agribusiness.

A complex relationship. Eritrea and Italy have deep-rooted cultural and political ties, with the Italian language still widely spoken and Italian architectural and artistic influence visible. Italy remains the second largest supplier to Eritrea and the ninth largest recipient of Eritrean exports.

• However, the country has strengthened its trade and political ties with China and especially Russia, as evidenced by the fact that Eritrea was the only African country to vote against two United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.