Italy Pursues Closer Energy Ties With Africa Through $6 Billion Fund

Italy is creating a $5.95 billion (5.5 billion euro) fund to boost its energy ties with Africa and support healthcare and education there in a bid to stem migrant flows from North Africa to Italian shores, Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday. Meloni unveiled the funding plan, dubbed ‘Mattei plan’ – named after the founder of Italian energy major Eni, Enrico Mattei, – during a summit with dozens of African heads of state and government and EU officials, including Ursula von der Leyen, the…