Rome - “I remain convinced that, in our relationship with African nations, we are potentially more competitive because our challenge is not to fuel chaos to try to plunder Africa of its resources, but to allow African countries to utilize those resources so they can thrive on what they have, with stable governments and prosperous societies.” This is one of the topics addressed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her address in the Senate ahead of the European Council on October 17 and 18. The Prime Minister also focused on the Mattei Plan for Africa, positioning Italy as a “trailblazer” thanks to “various projects with the first nine African nations involved.” She added, “It’s unfortunate – and I say this without intending to be polemical – that while the whole world looks to us precisely because of our strategy on Africa, and while the entire Italian system shows that it understands the significance of this initiative, opposition parties have instead chosen, even on this front, the path of prejudicial opposition. We shared the Plan with Parliament to involve all political forces in what remains a necessary strategy for Italy, not just a project beneficial to the Meloni government. However, I want to say that I am always available to engage in dialogue with everyone on this front, if only, for once, Italian interests were to take precedence over party interests.” (9colonne)