The meeting brought together delegations from more than fifty African states alongside Italy and followed a strict protocol. Only internationally recognized states were invited. This framework was defended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who insisted on a format aligned with United Nations standards, effectively excluding any non state entity.
This diplomatic choice was widely interpreted by observers as a rejection of attempts to impose unrecognized actors within multilateral forums. According to several converging sources, pressure had reportedly been exerted to secure an invitation, but these efforts did not succeed.
At the heart of Italy’s approach is the Mattei Plan, an ambitious cooperation program focused on energy, infrastructure, and migration. Within this framework, Rome prioritizes state level partners capable of ensuring stability, legal certainty, and predictability for investors.
The involvement of unrecognized entities is viewed as incompatible with this pragmatic strategy. For European partners, major transcontinental projects such as gas pipelines, energy corridors, and logistical networks require solid institutional frameworks rather than contested or internationally unrecognized structures.
A Growing Diplomatic Isolation for Algeria
This episode fits into a broader trend observed at several recent international forums, where official formats increasingly prioritize sovereign states. This shift reflects a wider geopolitical realignment in which regional stability, energy security, and economic cooperation now take precedence over ideological legacies rooted in past rivalries.
In this context, Morocco is regarded by many partners as a stable institutional actor and a strategic hub linking Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic space. The growing international support for its autonomy initiative is often cited as evidence of this ongoing diplomatic reconfiguration.
The exclusion of the Polisario from the summit was not merely a procedural matter. It symbolized a changing balance of power and highlighted the fact that major economic powers are increasingly favoring alliances based on international recognition, state stability, and concrete cooperation.
For Algiers, this diplomatic setback underscores the challenges faced by an influence strategy confronted with an international environment that is steadily moving toward political realism and structured partnerships.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv