US President Joe Biden awkwardly saluted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as he arrived at the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday.
Biden, 81, was the last of the world leaders to arrive at the venue in southern Puglia as he shuffled onto the stage where Meloni was waiting.
The two spoke for a few moments before Meloni pointed towards a frame of the G7 logo, which each leader in attendance signed with a marker.
As he began his walk off the platform, Biden raised his right arm over his eye and saluted his Italian counterpart.
The G7 is an informal forum with an annual summit to discuss economic policy and security issues.
The members involved in the forum are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Following their individual greetings, Biden and Meloni were rejoined on the platform by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
During the three-day summit, talks are expected to focus global conflicts, the spread of artificial intelligence and on Africa issues, along with pledges of new assistance to help Ukraine in its war with Russia.
With Post wires
