Meloni auctions gifts from foreign leaders, including Edi Rama's scarf

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has decided to auction off gifts received from foreign leaders during official visits abroad.

Among the gifts that will be sold is the scarf that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama gave her for her 48th birthday. The law prohibits the president from keeping gifts worth over 300 euros for herself, so they will be on sale to the public.

The total value of the gifts is estimated at around 800 euros, according to media reports. The various objects will be managed by the Bertolami Fine Art auction house in Rome. The full list of gifts to be auctioned has not yet been published, but they number over 270 items and are stored in a room at Palazzo Chigi, reports la Repubblica.

The first gift dates back to the G20 in Bali in 2022 and was a traditional Kerala women's dress, a gift from Indian President Narendra Modi. Among the other gifts is a fabric statuette from MP Michele Emiliano. The auction also includes two metal bracelets, four paintings, a metal plate, a pendant, a ring and earrings.

There are also 'blue python' shoes from a Saudi designer, vases, jewelry and a note in a red suitcase. The gifts also include carpets from Libya and other Arab countries, a porcelain tea set from Viktor Orban and a ceramic bowl from Joe Biden.

The traditional costume donated by former Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is also part of the auction.