Washington, DC [US], August 19 (ANI): Amid the bustle of US President Donald Trump’s multilateral meeting with European Union leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s arrival drew attention as she greeted US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley with a “namaste.”
“Namaste” is a traditional Indian greeting expressed with folded hands. Meloni has used the gesture before, notably welcoming leaders at the G7 Summit in Italy in the same manner.
A video also showed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting Meloni and sharing a brief conversation with her during the summit. Their camaraderie has gained wide attention on social media, where interactions between the two leaders have sparked the trending hashtag #Melodi.
PM Modi and Meloni have showcased their friendly rapport through videos and selfies, including one during the COP28 summit in Dubai, where Meloni captioned a photo, “Good friends at COP28, #Melodi.” Their chemistry was also visible during the G20 Summit in India, where social media users edited videos of them together with Bollywood music and playful captions.
The cordial relationship highlights growing diplomatic ties between Italy and India, with both leaders voicing enthusiasm for collaboration in sustainability, energy, and industry.
At the multilateral summit in Washington, Meloni reiterated her support for peace efforts. “If we want to reach peace and if we want to guarantee justice, we have to do it united,” she told Trump. “We are on the side of Ukraine.”
It marked a notable show of unity among leaders across the ideological spectrum, from centrist figures like French President Emmanuel Macron to populist conservatives such as Meloni, CNN reported.
Meloni also underlined the changing dynamics in the conflict. “It is an important day — a new phase — after three years that we didn’t see any kind of sign from the Russian side that they were willing for dialogue, so something is changing — something has changed — thanks to you,” she said. (ANI)
About The Author
