In 2026, Italy’s foreign and defense policies continue to revolve around the strategic concept of the "Enlarged Mediterranean" (Mediterraneo Allargato). This geopolitical framework acknowledges that Italy’s security, economic interests, and energy needs depend heavily on a wide area stretching far beyond its immediate coastline—encompassing North Africa, the Sahel, the Middle East, the Western Balkans, and extending toward the Indo-Pacific.
Italy's strategy and
footprint in the wider Mediterranean is evident across several key areas:
1. The
"Global Mediterranean" and the Indo-Pacific Axis
Under Prime Minister
Giorgia Meloni, Italy has increasingly advanced the narrative of a "Global
Mediterranean". Rather than treating distant theaters as separate, Italian
diplomacy links the Indo-Pacific directly to the Enlarged Mediterranean. Economic
security relies heavily on keeping open the vital maritime trade corridors and
choke points (from the Malacca Strait through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to
Gibraltar) that connect Asian markets with the European Single Market.
2. Economic and Energy
Security: The Mattei Plan
A cornerstone of Italy’s
engagement in the region is the Piano Mattei (Mattei Plan),
an ambitious strategy designed to reshape Italy’s ties with African nations.
Moving away from a traditional aid-based model, the plan focuses on equal
partnership across six core areas: energy, infrastructure, education, health,
water, and agriculture.
- Energy Hub: Through multinationals
like ENI, Italy anchors its energy security via deep-rooted partnerships
with countries like Algeria (a primary gas provider), Egypt, and Libya.
According to the Italian Maritime Economy 2026 repor, Italy acts as
a vital bridge for energy and container distribution despite regional
crises.
3. Diplomatic Pillars and
Bilateral Relations
Some of Italy's regional
priorities:
- Tunisia & Libya: Central to
migration governance and border management coordination.
- Western Balkans: Italy actively
drives regional integration, championing the "Rome Charter" to
accelerate the EU accession path for Western Balkan nations.
- Turkey & Egypt: Highly
interdependent partners in trade, infrastructure, and energy
diversification (e.g., the Southern Gas Corridor).
4. Security, Defence, Maritime
Presence and Trade
Italy projects its
international status through prolonged military deployments spanning North
Africa, the Middle East, and the Sahel, including leading roles in peacekeeping
missions like UNIFIL in Lebanon. To maintain freedom of action and protect
critical infrastructure, Italy participates in and often leads and coordinates
Mediterranean defense, technology, and security efforts through several key
regional initiatives and partnerships regarding cyber defense, artificial
intelligence (AI), emerging military technologies and maritime security.
Partners include Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco,
Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Croazia and the United States
Upcoming meeting
One of the main platforms
for discussing these dynamics is the MED – Mediterranean Dialogues (organized
by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ISPI). The 12th edition is
scheduled to take place from November 19 to 21, 2026, at the Royal Palace in
Naples, bringing together international stakeholders to address regional
fragmentation and connectivity.
Italy sees increasing
trade as key to strengthening stability in the Mediterranean
and is actively using trade, maritime logistics, and infrastructure partnerships as geopolitical tools to foster long-term stability and resilience across the Mediterranean. Under its broader "Enlarged Mediterranean" strategy, Rome is shifting away from purely transactional relationships to establish deep economic and industrial integrations with regional partners.
Strategic Frameworks Promoting
Stability
- The Mattei Plan: A cornerstone of
Italian foreign policy, this initiative fosters co-development in Africa
and the Southern Mediterranean. It targets infrastructure, sustainable
agriculture, and renewable energy to tackle the economic roots of regional
instability and migration.
- Energy Connections and
Infrastructure: Italy is positioning itself as a central Mediterranean
clean energy hub. Recent milestones include 14 bilateral pacts signed with
Greece, highlighting a €2 billion, 1,000 MW submarine electricity
interconnector.
- Port and Hub Expansion: Italian ports
handled over 510 million tons of cargo. Rome is prioritizing investments
in major maritime hubs (such as Trieste, Genoa, and Gioia Tauro) to
process rising trade volumes and cement its role as Europe's primary
southern gateway.
Connecting the
Indo-Mediterranean
Italy relies heavily on
multinational trade corridors to guarantee regional stability. It supports
initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), now
threatened by the conflict in the Middle East, and the Trans-Caspian Middle
Corridor, increasingly threatened by the spillover from the war in Ukraine and
deepening geopolitical instability in the Caucasus. By anchoring European,
African, and Asian trade flows into the Mediterranean, Rome aims to create a
highly integrated economic zone where shared financial interests naturally
discourage conflict and secure maritime transit points.
Italy’s key role
maintaining NATO and the EU’s engagement in the Mediterranean
At the same time, Italy
plays a critical role in anchoring NATO and the European Union’s strategic
engagement in the Mediterranean region, acting as a bridge between
Euro-Atlantic security frameworks and dealing with the challenges of the
Southern Flank. This is regarded as absolutely fundamental for Italy’s
security. Amid an increasingly volatile global landscape marked by rising
hybrid threats, shipping disruptions, and geopolitical shifts, Rome relies on a
multilateral strategy that balances its Atlantic commitments with European
strategic autonomy.
Italy fosters NATO and EU
cooperation in the Mediterranean through several key mechanisms:
Securing Critical
Undersea Cable Networks and Energy Infrastructure
The Mediterranean’s
energy corridors—particularly regasification plants and subsea data and
communications cables—are prime targets for hybrid and grey-zone warfare.
- NATO Integration:
Italy actively coordinates the efforts civilian, military, and industry
stakeholders to protect these assets. The NATO Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network
deploys advanced drone and sensing surveillance across the seabed.
- National Capabilities:
The Italian Navy utilizes its dedicated CUI Surveillance Center
(established in 2024) to share real-time threat intelligence with allied
nations.
Leading NATO Maritime
Presence
Italy remains a primary
contributor to Allied deterrence and freedom of navigation initiatives in the
Mediterranean basin.
- Commanding SNMG2:
The Italian Navy frequently assumes leadership roles for key operational
forces, such as steering the
Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), using Italian
flagships alongside allied vessels from Canada, Spain, Greece, and Turkey
to ensure regional stability.
- Mediterranean Dialogue:
Rome leverages these naval operations to foster diplomatic and military
cooperation with non-NATO partner nations in North Africa, such as Egypt.
Here is a short list of
ongoing key European Union (EU) and NATO maritime operations in
the Mediterranean Sea and wider region:
- Operation Sea Guardian
(NATO): Launched in November 2016 as the
successor to Active Endeavour. It is a non-Article 5 maritime
security operation focusing on counter-terrorism, maintaining maritime
situational awareness, and regional capacity-building.
- Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI (EU):
Commenced in March 2020. Its primary core task is implementing the UN arms
embargo on Libya. Its mandate also includes tracking illicit petroleum
exports, disrupting human trafficking networks, and monitoring Russia's
shadow fleet.
- Aegean Activity (NATO):
An ongoing reconnaissance and surveillance mission in the Aegean Sea
launched to support international efforts to handle irregular migration.
NATO assets provide real-time data to the Greek and Turkish coastguards
and the EU’s Frontex agency.
- Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 / SNMG2
(NATO): A permanent, immediate-readiness
naval force patrolling the Mediterranean to ensure freedom of navigation,
regional stability, and deterrence. See above.
- Operation Aspides (EUNAVFOR Aspides):
A purely defensive EU naval security operation launched to protect
commercial merchant shipping from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Bab
el-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and the Persian
Gulf.
·
Operation Atalanta (EUNAVFOR
Somalia): The EU's long-standing military counter-piracy
operation active off the coast of Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, and the western
Indian Ocean.
·
NATO Maritime Security & Gulf Engagement: NATO does
not have a dedicated, standalone combat armada branded strictly for the Persian
Gulf or Red Sea, but it maintains active institutional and maritime frameworks.
·
Gulf Dialogue: NATO and Gulf partners (including
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE via the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative)
hold regular North Atlantic Council consultations on Middle East maritime
security, uncrewed aerial system (UAS) defense, critical infrastructure
protection, and counter-terrorism.
·
Coordination: NATO allies (such as the U.S.,
Italy, the UK, France, and others) frequently coordinate maritime domain
awareness and intelligence-sharing alongside coalition efforts like the
U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and national escort missions operating
across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Red Sea corridors. The United
States military and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) actively protect (or at
least try to protect), guide, and escort select merchant and oil tankers
through the Strait of Hormuz, though the status of the waterway remains heavily
contested and restricted compared to pre-war levels.
Regional Partnerships and
EU Border Security
Italy builds strategic
bilateral alliances that reinforce broader EU objectives in the Mediterranean,
striving to prevent regional conflicts from escalating.
- Defense Alliances:
Rome significantly deepened its Mediterranean defense footprint through an
agreement with Greece to transfer Italian FREMM frigates to the Hellenic Navy,
strengthening the alliance's naval capabilities.
- Crisis Management:
To safeguard EU borders and push for regional de-escalation amidst Middle
Eastern conflicts, Italy coordinates tightly with European allies
(including France and Germany), deploying naval assets defensively to
flashpoints like Cyprus.
- Energy Diplomacy:
Through initiatives like the "Mattei Plan," Italy has bolstered
energy partnerships with North African states like Algeria, helping
partners distance themselves from Russian influence while securing the
EU's Southern energy corridor. This links up with the African component of
the EU’s Global Gateway initiative.
Balancing
Responsibilities in "NATO 3.0"
As transatlantic dynamics
shift more responsibility toward European allies, Italy continues to advocate
that the Mediterranean remain central to Euro-Atlantic security.
Even as attention pivots
toward the Arctic or Eastern Europe due to the Russia-China axis, Italian
policy actively ensures that NATO and the EU do not neglect the complex
migration, terrorist, and hybrid threats facing the Southern Flank.
Background
Italian Mediterranean
Strategy (old but still useful) 2017
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/12/rapporto-med-maeci-ita.pdf
also for translation
practice
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/12/rapporto-med-maeci-eng.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=342337479509757
video conference 2025 Limes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCbrKXondtY
for the Balkan 2023 https://www.esteri.it/it/sala_stampa/archivionotizie/approfondimenti/2023/02/un-piano-strategico-per-la-regione-adriatico-balcanica/
IMEC 2026 https://www.ispionline.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Report-IMEC-2026_ISPI.pdf
See also https://youngdip.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-red-sea-and-maritime-security.html
for the Red Sea and maritime security
and recently
https://en.ilsole24ore.com/art/the-italian-frigate-arrived-in-cyprus-usa-turkey-how-nine-countries-defend-the-island-AI9ffhtB?refresh_ce=1
The mission to defend Cyprus, including the Italian missile frigate 'Federico Martinengo
https://www.act.nato.int/article/tfx-centmed/
NATO Task Force X-Central Mediterranean, an Italian-led initiative
https://www.esteri.it/en/eventi/med-2026-dialoghi-mediterranei/ MED
2026 – Mediterranean Dialogues
and then more general
background
https://mecouncil.org/publication_chapters/our-sea-europes-role-in-mediterranean-security/
https://www.marina.difesa.it/EN/Conosciamoci/notizie/Documents/01_casardi_en_giugno.pdf
2021
https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ecfr-1-Crises-in-the-Mediterranean.pdf
https://www.geopolitica.info/strategia-sicurezza-difesa-mediterraneo/ 2022
https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/italys-wider-mediterranean-is-it-just-about-energy-109073
2023
https://www.affarinternazionali.it/mediterraneo-allargato-dalle-primavere-arabe-al-piano-mattei/
2024
https://www.geopolitica.info/la-nato-nel-mediterraneo-allargato/
2024 NATO
So current challenges to
Mediterranean stability in 2026 include geopolitical conflicts, energy security
concerns, governance issues, climate change impacts, and migration pressures.
Escalating conflicts in the Middle East have disrupted energy supply chains and
threaten infrastructure, while political instability and governance failures
hinder economic development and increase investor uncertainty. Additionally,
the region is experiencing intensified climate change effects, and a growing
number of displaced people from conflicts in Africa and the Middle East are
increasing migration pressures.
Geopolitical and security
challenges
Escalating conflicts: The
Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, fighting in Lebanon and the US- Iran
conflict have strained regional alliances and created significant instability
in the Eastern Mediterranean, across the Middle East, the Gulf and in the Red
Sea, and near-paralysis at times in the Strait of Hormuz, for shipping to and
from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Hybrid threats: Sea lanes
and coastal infrastructure are under threat from hybrid attacks, sabotage, and
disruption.
Shifting power dynamics:
Competition between regional powers like Turkey and Egypt, alongside
instability in countries like Syria and Libya, fuels ongoing tensions.
Energy security
challenges
Conflict impact: Ongoing
conflicts risk derailing the Eastern Mediterranean's potential as a key
alternative energy supplier and supply route for Europe, which was a goal in
the wake of the war in Ukraine.
Uncertainty: The security
situation casts doubt on future energy exploration and export plans and supply
oute projects, and impacts existing energy agreements.
Governance and economic
challenges
Government-citizen
divide: There is an increasing gap between governments and their citizens in
many parts of the region.
Investor uncertainty:
Persistent governance problems and regulatory barriers in the MENA region
affect investor confidence.
Governance issues:
Political instability, weak governance, and the spread of extremist groups
remain significant challenges.
Environmental and
migration challenges
Climate change: The
Mediterranean is warming faster than the global average, leading to significant
environmental impacts.
Migration: Humanitarian
crises in Sudan and the Sahel are increasing the number of asylum seekers, with
significant numbers still heading towards North Africa and Europe.
Environmental
degradation: Marine life and ecosystems are under threat from pollution,
habitat degradation, and offshore development.
https://www.esteri.it/en/politica-estera-e-cooperazione-allo-sviluppo/aree_geografiche/mediterr_mo/
https://www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/med-2025-il-mediterraneo-globale-oltre-le-crisi-220698
And https://youngdip.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-black-sea.html
for the Black Sea
https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/rethinking-italys-enlarged-mediterranean-176932
https://www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/med-2025-il-mediterraneo-globale-oltre-le-crisi-220698
and the expanding
involvement of Italy in the Indo-Pacific region
https://www.geopolitica.info/italy-indopacific-tilt-2025/
More on the EU and the
Mediterranean https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_25_792
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Irini
https://www.operationirini.eu/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Aspides
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/maritime-security_en
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025JC0009
https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/briefs/war-footing-securing-critical-energy-infrastructure
https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-security/security-gas-supply_en
NATO operations and
activities in the Mediterranean
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_70759.htm
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136233.htm
Italy’s naval and
military commitment to the Mediterranean 2025
https://www.startinsight.eu/en/italy-the-2025-2027-defence-white-paper/
https://theaviationist.com/2025/10/10/italy-2025-defense-plan/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Mediterraneo_Sicuro
https://www.marina.difesa.it/media-cultura/Notiziario-online/Pagine/20250516_MedStrike_2025.aspx
Italy and some of its economic
and cooperation partners in the Mediterranean
https://www.terna.it/en/projects/projects-common-interest/italy-tunisia-interconnection
https://decode39.com/11520/turkey-italy-a-partnership-bridging-the-mediterranean/
Italy and the
Adriatic/Balkans region
https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Piano-Regione-Adriatico-Balcanica_DEF-2.pdf
Migration
Italy's current strategy to control Mediterranean
migration combines external policies like the "Rome Process" to
partner with origin countries, an EU-level focus on pushing for a broader EU
strategy that emphasizes strengthening external border controls and
partnerships with third countries (with fewer calls for internal EU redistribution)
and internal measures such as multi-year "Flow Decrees" to manage
legal migration and create pathways for workers. This is a new, multi-year
approach to migration that sets regular entry quotas for foreign workers in
sectors like agriculture, tourism, and caregiving, aiming to balance economic
needs with reduced irregular migration.
Moreover, the government aims to use its economic and
migration diplomacy to build influence in Africa and address the root causes of
instability, as can be seen with the Mattei Plan
while strengthening and streamlining legal pathways for both seasonal and
non-seasonal workers through multi-year decrees.
Italy and Africa –
the Mattei Plan
https://eccoclimate.org/it/summit-italia-africa-opportunita-e-rischi-del-piano-mattei/
https://eccoclimate.org/the-italy-africa-summit-opportunities-and-risks-of-the-mattei-plan/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFMYw0qt6vc
Italy and the
Sahel
Italy and Israel
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/world/middleeast/italy-israel-defense-pact.html
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-910578
of general interest
https://formiche.net/2022/06/strategia-italia-difesa-mediterraneo/#content
https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie/2023/10/04/riforma-migranti-unione-europea
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/president-meloni-s-speech-rome-med-mediterranean-dialogues/21227
https://formiche.net/2023/01/algeria-turchia-libia-mediterraneo-mezran/
https://atalayar.com/en/content/meloni-resumes-draghis-agenda-algeria-we-will-be-gas-hub-europe
https://www.governo.it/it/media/visita-del-presidente-meloni-libia/21615
https://tg24.sky.it/mondo/2023/09/09/terremoto-marocco-reazioni
https://www.ilpost.it/2023/07/20/zaki-meloni-al-sisi/
https://consizmir.esteri.it/it/litalia-e-turchia/
https://www.ilfoglio.it/esteri/2023/07/19/news/al-sisi-concede-la-grazia-a-patrick-zaki-5515445/
https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/09/a-long-hot-summer-for-eastern-mediterranean-gas-politics/
https://decode39.com/5313/italy-nato-monitoring-russia-ships-med/
https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/food-energy-nexus-and-italy-morocco-cooperation
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-wants-more-money-africa-curb-arrivals-europe-2023-02-06/
2022 and earlier
https://decode39.com/3569/italian-defence-strategy-mediterranean/
https://www.iai.it/it/pubblicazioni/re-discovering-italys-mediterranean-vocation
https://cepa.org/article/rome-alone-italys-mediterranean-defense-strategy/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/21/italys-mediterranean-belt-and-road/
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_426
Italy and Mediterranean cultures
https://iicalgeri.esteri.it/it/gli_eventi/calendario/italia-culture-mediterraneo/
https://iicalgeri.esteri.it/it/gli_eventi/calendario/slim-settimana-della-lingua-italiana-nel-mondo/
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136233.htm
to watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W0kCXuMJX4
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