Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a fun moment on the sidelines of the COP28 global climate summit in Dubai.
Meloni posted a selfie with PM Modi on her social media account and wrote, “Good friends at COP28. #Melodi.” At the time of writing this story, the post garnered over 3,62,000 likes and numerous comments.
This selfie, which became a symbol of amicable ties between India and Italy at the global climate summit, has resonated with social media users across online platforms.
PM Modi at COP28 Summit
Modi met his Italian counterpart on the sidelines of the global climate summit. He said that India and Italy are looking forward to a sustainable and prosperous future. “Looking forward to collaborative efforts between India and Italy for a sustainable and prosperous future,” PM Modi said.
Modi also addressed the opening session of the COP28 summit and the ceremonial opening of the high-level segment for heads of state/government. Furthermore, he attended the Presidency’s session on Transforming Climate Finance, a high-level event on Green Credits Programme and a Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
Not only Meloni, PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Israel President Isaac Herzog, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The ‘#Melodi’ of it all
The hashtag ‘#Melodi’ became popular on social media after the camaraderie between PM Modi and Meloni came to limelight when the latter visited India for the G20 Summit in September this year.
While exchanging pleasantries, the two leaders burst into laughter after a short conversation. The interaction between the two went viral on social media, leading to the creation of memes and clips of Modi meeting Meloni being overlayed with Bollywood songs.
Not only this, Giorgia Meloni also wished PM Modi on his 73rd birthday in September. Calling him a ‘friend’, Meloni wrote in Italian on Twitter, “Happy birthday wishes Narendra Modi. A friend committed to building the future and proud of the history of a great nation close to Italy.”
Giorgia Meloni’s maiden India visit
In March this year, the Italian Prime Minister visited India for the first time and praised PM Modi, calling him the most loved one of all the leaders around the world. “PM Modi is the most loved one of all (leaders) around the world. This is really proven that he has been a major leader and congratulations for that,” she said at the time.
PM Modi also congratulated Meloni for becoming the first woman and the youngest Prime Minister of Italy. “I welcome Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on her first visit to India. In last year’s elections, the people of Italy voted for her and she became the first woman and youngest Italian Prime Minister. I congratulate her on behalf of Indians for this historic achievement,” Modi said.
