Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's sweet gesture, where he presents a birthday gift to his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni has taken the internet by storm.
Meloni, who celebrated her 48th birthday on Wednesday (Jan 15), was surprised by Rama as he went down on one knee and sang "tanti auguri" (happy birthday).
The two leaders were attending the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Here's the video of the moment:
🇦🇱🇮🇹 Albanian PM Edi Rama knelt before Italian PM Giorgia Meloni during their visit to Abu Dhabi, presenting her with a scarf as a birthday gift and referring to her as "Your Majesty".
— kos_data (@kos_data) January 15, 2025
He also tried to place the scarf over her head like a hijab. pic.twitter.com/QSqEuuBexM
The lightweight scarf was created by an Italian designer who had moved to Albania, Rama could be seen explaining to Meloni.
Both leaders share great camaraderie despite their contrasting political beliefs.
The Italian prime minister heads the right-wing Brothers of Italy, while Rama leads Albania's Socialist Party.
Meloni and Rama forged a deal last year to redirect some migrants rescued at sea by Italy to detention centres in Albania. However, these centres currently stand dormant due to ongoing legal challenges to the agreement.
Italy, Albania, and the United Arab Emirates signed a groundbreaking deal at the summit on Wednesday to construct a subsea interconnection for renewable energy across the Adriatic Sea.
It is worth at least 1 billion euros ($1 billion).
This massive project aims to strengthen existing power connections, stretching 430 km along the Adriatic seabed, and enhance energy security, sustainable development, and the transition to clean energy in the Mediterranean region.
(With inputs from agencies)