Biden Greets Giorgia Meloni Arriving At Summit
During the G-7 summit on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni found herself in an unexpected situation, having to retrieve President Joe Biden as he wandered away from a group of world leaders. The leaders were watching a skydiving flag ceremony when Biden appeared to be distracted by one of the officers and drifted away from the group.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Meloni, and other leaders noticed Biden’s detour and seemed to deliberate on whether to intervene. Ultimately, Meloni stepped in, gently touching Biden’s arm to get his attention. Biden then rejoined the group as they moved closer to him.
Joe Biden has a quick sniff of Giorgia Meloni, which is unusual for Joe because Giorgia is not under the age of 8 years old. pic.twitter.com/l4LbuO4XWB
— Mark Alan Pearce (@PearceAlan1962) March 3, 2024
This wasn’t the only unusual moment involving Biden at the summit. Upon his arrival, which made him the last leader to get to the G7 summit in Italy, he was greeted by Prime Minister Meloni. In an awkward exchange, Biden kissed Meloni on the head and seemed to sniff her hair. After a brief interaction, she directed him to a frame bearing the G7 logo, where each leader signed with a marker. Before leaving the platform, Biden gave an awkward salute to Meloni.
The G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S., gathers annually to discuss critical issues such as economic policy and security. This year’s summit, running through Saturday, will tackle global conflicts, the impact of artificial intelligence, issues affecting Africa, and new support pledges for Ukraine amidst its ongoing war with Russia.
Biden appears confused as he SALUTES Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and then walks off at the G7 Summit.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 13, 2024
A historic moment for the summit will be Pope Francis addressing the G7 on Friday, making him the first pontiff to do so. His agenda includes discussions on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and calls for peaceful resolutions to conflicts, notably in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.
Watch Italian PM Meloni’s face at :07. Someone tells her Biden’s meds are wearing off and he needs help.
She responds with hurried grace.
Thank you Italy. We’re so sorry. pic.twitter.com/RXS21xzxlG
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) June 13, 2024
After the greeting and signature ceremony, Biden and Meloni were joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the platform, setting the stage for the discussions ahead.