Ukraine, Africa e China: these will be the temi of the two days in Washington of the premier Giorgia Melons, who today, July 27, will meet the President of the United States at the White House Joe Biden (at 21 Italian). For the prime minister, the trip to Washington is an important test: the face-to-face meeting will serve not only to demonstrate full harmony between the different political colors of the two administrations but also to relaunch full support for the Atlanticist line, confirming total support - on the economic and military front – to Ukraine. Then the elephant in the room: China, with the unknown factor on New Silk Road. Finally, theAfrica. In particular, the Italian premier will try to obtain the help of the US president for the stabilization of the continent - also in the light of the attempted coup d'état in Niger - projected ever further east and ever more distant from the West, but also to resolve the issue that most worries your government, the migration phenomenon. Then there's the tunisia. President Saied does not intend to proceed with the reforms requested by the IMF, without which he will not disburse the loans. Meloni hopes that the issue will be resolved thanks to his American friend, even if the Biden presidency has already made it known that it does not want to take any official steps.
The China knot
The Italian decision on the Silk Road is of great interest to the allies, given that the Italian government will have to decide by December whether to renew or cancel thecommercial agreement, signed by then Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in 2019 and which to date remains the only G7 country that is still a partner in the project. "It is up to Italy to decide when and whether to leave – said White House spokesman John Kirby – even if all countries are now aware of the dangers of making agreements with China". Even if the prime minister has guaranteed "that she will not disappoint Washington" it is highly unlikely that the official announcement of Italy's orientation on the Silk Road will arrive today, given that a declaration of this type could greatly irritate Chinese President Xi Jinping and jeopardize the trade relations between the two countries. So much so that the Global Times - on the occasion of the meeting between Giorgia Meloni and Biden - launched a very clear message: "The Italian decision on the Belt and Road Initiative should be taken without American influence". For their part, the US does not expect brutal snatches. It is therefore a question of managing the game carefully. “On a geopolitical level – is the Italian position – China has become an essential interlocutor. We intend to pursue a balanced relationship and responsible dialogue with Beijing".
Meloni from Biden: Africa is also among the topics
Another delicate knot of the face to face is theAfricaobject of economic interests by Russia e China. On the one hand there is Vladimir Putin who, despite the isolation of the West due to the unjustified invasion of Ukraine, is still very close to his African partners. This is demonstrated not only by the significant presence of the company Wagner – even after the mysterious attempted coup by Prigozin – but also the will of the Russian president to exploit the non-renewal of the wheat agreement to secure relations with Africa: "Russia is ready to send free grain to African countries in the next 3/4 months". Putin said this at the opening of the summit with African countries in St. Petersburg. And also Xi Jinping he has never forgotten the stakes, as demonstrated by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent tour of Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Turkey and the expansion of the BRICS.
Africa, in any case, will also be the focus of the G7 of 2024 under Italian leadership. "The theme of Africa - government sources confirm - will represent the leitmotiv of the mission".
In her meeting with Biden - which takes place immediately after the Rome Conference on migration and development, after the FAO Summit and after the EU-Tunisia Agreement - the Chigi tenant will try to get American support for her new strategy for Africa, i.e. that Mattei plan started with the memorandum signed between the EU and Tunisia. At stake is above all the question of migrants leaving from the coasts of North Africa, but also the possibility of a greater Italian role in Libya and to unblock the stalemate in Tunisia. The support of the USA for the agreement signed in Tunis with Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte last month could be decisive for Meloni in persuading the International Monetary Fund to unblock loans for the North African country.
