Albanian PM Edi Rama kneels with 'namaste' to welcome Italian PM Meloni; leaves her in utter shock: WATCH
New Delhi: Grabbing global attention, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted Europe's leaders on Friday at the European Political Community (EPC) Summit in Tirana, Albania. In a special move, he welcomed Italy's Giorgia Meloni in a grand gesture, by kneeling on one knee on the red carpet and offering a respectful 'namaste'.
After campaigning on a promise to bring Albania into the European Union (EU) by 2030, Rama recently secured a fourth term. As he revelled in his overwhelming reelection victory, he made clear how happy he was to welcome colleagues from the bloc and beyond.
Giorgia Meloni truly commands the utmost respect of world leaders. This is quite the sight to see. pic.twitter.com/xBp3d0Qi7j
— Joey Mannarino 🇺🇸 (@JoeyMannarinoUS) May 16, 2025
Significance of gesture: Rama made the special gesture as Meloni arrived at the summit on her 48th birthday. In addition to serenading her with "Tanti Auguri," the Italian translation of "Happy Birthday," Rama gave her a specially made scarf created by an Italian artisan residing in Albania.
Meloni made a point of escorting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the opera building where the leaders were conducting discussions, and when he arrived, he knelt down in a respectful gesture, as he frequently does for his Italian "sister."
"Here's the Sun King" was Rama's humorous greeting to Macron as the clouds parted and the two hugged before entering.
EPC gathering: Members of the European Union and 20 other nations come together for the EPC meeting. The union’s main topic of focus was Ukraine. However, Rama made every effort to highlight his passion for Europe before the start of the formal negotiations.
"It's true that I am the tallest among them, but I lead a country that is one of the smallest, and for us it's already a big honour to have the opportunity to host this summit," Rama told the press.
Ahead of the gathering, Rama also took to his social media account and wished everyone a solemn hello. He wrote: From Tirana, where all of Europe has come today and where the whole world will be watching, I say hello to you, the prime minister wrote on Instagram ahead of the gathering.