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Most Memorable Kisses of Top Political Figures

Sputnik

On a cheek or on the lips, friendly, affectionate or awkward - top political figures have delighted photojournalists with all sorts of kisses. Nowadays, even a handshake, let alone a kiss, is a no-go area for some officials as the coronavirus pandemic is still raging across the globe. To remind our readers of some of the most memorable kisses by top politicians, Sputnik team compiled a photogallery - don't miss the chance to check it out.

1 / 17
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, kisses Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana after Pence's acceptance speech during the third day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Wednesday, 20 July 2016.
2 / 17
The Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte (R) kisses chamber chair Anouchka van Miltenburg on the hand before the start of the debate about the calendar for the European Summit on 18 December 2013.
3 / 17
An unidentified supporter hugs and kisses Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, left, following his arrival by air in Istanbul, Turkey, 26 February 1959 from London. The man to the right is also an unidentified supporter. Menderes, who nine days before had survived an airplane crash was given a tumultuous welcome by more than 10,000 shouting Turks when his chartered British plane landed at Yeshilkoy Airport. Cheering crowds broke through barriers of police and soldiers and nearly crushed the prime minister in their enthusiasm.
4 / 17
Australian Prime Minister John Howard (L) kisses the head of his grandson, Angus Howard-McDonald (C) who is being held by daughter Melanie (R) at the Coalition campaign launch in Brisbane, 12 November 2007. Australian Prime Minister John Howard is headed for a landslide defeat at elections next week, according to an opinion poll released 12 November which showed the opposition surging ahead. The centre-left Labor Party gained two percentage points over the past week to extend its lead over Howard's conservative Liberal-National coalition to 55 percent against 45 percent, the Newspoll showed.
5 / 17
Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah (R), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general, Abdul Latif al-Zayyani, exchange a traditional kiss on the sidelines of a meeting to discuss dialogue between the six-nation GCC and Russia in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2011.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy kiss each other upon their arrival at Wilalow Palace on 7 February 2011 in Warsaw for the Weimar Triangle summit.
7 / 17
Republican presidential nominee Texas Gov. George W. Bush gives a kiss to Oprah Winfrey after appearing on her show on 19 September 2000 in Chicago, Illinois.
8 / 17
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, kisses his granddaughter Finnegan Biden during a campaign event, Sunday, 2 Feb 2020, in Dubuque, Iowa.
9 / 17
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulates newly-weds with a kiss.
10 / 17
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (L) kisses vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans before delivering his State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on 13 September 2017.
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Actor Hugh Jackman (R) and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) kiss on the set of the movie 'The Wolverine' in Sydney on 24 July 2012. "The Wolverine" sees Jackman reprise his most famous role as the superhero with metal claws and will be shot in Sydney after a 13.2 million USD grant from the Australian government.
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US President Barack Obama (R) kisses Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (L) after speaking to the media during a brief joint press conference at her residence in Yangon on 19 November 2012. Obama met Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during a historic visit to Yangon aimed at encouraging political reforms.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice greet each other with a kiss.
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Prime Minister Tony Blair is kissed by Jean Peterson during a visit to Wythenshawe, near Manchester, England, 31 January 2005.
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Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, left, kisses First Lady Juliana Awada, from the balcony at the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10 December 2015. Macri promises to usher in an era of more civil discourse and roll back much of the Fernandez administration's spending, that many economists say has brought Argentina to the brink of another financial crisis.
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Milos Zeman kisses his wife Ivana while claiming victory in the Czech presidential election in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 January 2018. The Czech Republic's pro-Russia president won a second five-year term Saturday after beating a political newcomer viewed as more Western-oriented in a runoff vote. With ballots from almost 99 percent of polling stations counted, the Czech Statistics Office said President Milos Zeman had received 51.6 percent of the vote during the two-day runoff election.
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South Korean presidential candidate Moon Jae-in (L) of the Democratic Party receives a kiss from his party member Ahn Hee-Jung (R), who was a presidential candidate contender of the Party, as they gather to watch broadcast of the presidential election results at a park near the presidential Blue House in Seoul on 9 May 2017.
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