CHISINAU: Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s dog has bitten on the hand of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during an official visit, Western media reported on Friday.
The dog overturning the protocol bit the president, however the visiting dignitary forgave the pet and gifted the pup a toy.
The incident, happened when the two leaders were strolling in the lawn of the Moldovan presidential residence and Van der Bellen tried to pet the dog.
President Maia Sandu apologized to his Australian counterpart saying the dog was frightened by the presence of the large number of the people nearby.
Later Van Der Bellen was seen wearing a bandaged on his hand during a meeting with the speaker of Moldova’s parliament.
Austrian president in a video posted to Instagram on Friday expressed sympathy with the dog saying that he is a a big dog lover and can understand the pet’s excitement. He termed his meetings with Sandu and other top officials as very good.
Van der Bellen also said that he had given a small toy to the dog on the last day of his visit.
READ ALSO: FIFA Launches Hospitality Packages for the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023: SPA
The talks between the Moldovan and Austrian presidents focused on the bid by Moldova to become a member of the European Union. Moldova is a small eastern European state which lies between Ukraine and Romania.
