On Wednesday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama surprised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with a birthday gift-a scarf-as she turned 48 at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Rama was much taller than Meloni. He knelt down to present the gift and serenade her with a heartfelt “tanti auguri” (happy birthday). The scarf was explained by Rama as being a special token from an Italian designer who had moved to Albania.
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🇦🇱🇮🇹 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”.
He also tried to place the scarf over her head like a hijab. pic.twitter.com/QSqEuuBexM
— kos_data (@kos_data) January 15, 2025
They differ in political outlook, with Meloni leading Italy’s right-wing Brothers of Italy and Rama heading the Socialist Party of Albania, but the two leaders are said to be on good working terms. Last year, they agreed on a deal to divert some of the migrants Italy rescues at sea to detention centers in Albania, though the scheme faces legal challenges and the centers remain inactive.
At the summit, Italy, Albania, and the UAE signed a significant deal worth at least €1 billion to build a subsea interconnection for renewable energy across the Adriatic.
