The Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, starred in a relaxed scene by making a gesture with laughter about the attire of the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama.
The Albanian leader is widely recognized in official meetings for his unconventional style, and on this occasion, he stood out at the diplomatic meeting wearing sneakers. Rutte, in an attempt to bring lightness to the day, did not overlook the detail of the footwear, highlighting the disparity of tones that can coexist in such a high-level meeting.
However, the Secretary General's gesture of complicity did not have the expected success on all fronts. Despite Rutte's irony, he failed to elicit a smile from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who maintained a serious expression during the curious exchange.
This moment has been interpreted as a reflection of the different personal dynamics among the leaders present at the summit, in a context where underlying issues, such as tensions in the Middle East and the protection of the Strait of Hormuz, maintain a climate of maximum diplomatic demand. The scene has quickly become one of the most commented images of the day in the Turkish capital.