EXPLAINED: The Case Of PM Modi’s ‘Car Diplomacy’ With Global Leaders | World News
Ethiopia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Addis Ababa airport during his visit to Ethiopia. This arrival follows a similar gesture a day earlier when Jordanian Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally drove the Indian prime minister away, sparking what is now seen as a trend of ‘car diplomacy’.
According to the information obtained, Modi and Abiy Ahmed also made an unplanned break at the Science Museum and Friendship Park before going to the hotel planned for the prime minister’s stay.
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali met me at Addis Ababa airport and then took me to the Science Museum in the city. This Museum showcases different aspects of science and innovation and how they can be leveraged for the progress of Ethiopia.@AbiyAhmedAli pic.twitter.com/BKxxCBfKdkNarendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2025
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What Does This Gesture Serve?
These gestures reflect a sign of high respect and point to Prime Minister Modi’s emerging style of personal diplomacy seen in his recent interactions with global leaders.
These gestures, seen as a special sign of respect, underscore Prime Minister Modi’s increasing penchant for personal diplomacy in his dealings with foreign dignitaries.
The moves indicate remarkable respect and underscore the pattern of personal diplomacy that has developed in Prime Minister Modi’s recent meetings with international leaders.
Seen as a sign of high-level respect, these gestures also underscore a new phase of personal diplomacy in Prime Minister Modi’s interactions with his foreign counterparts.
The Rise of ‘Car Diplomacy’ in Global Relations
The idea of ’car diplomacy’ first gained attention earlier this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled together for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China. Months later, Prime Minister Modi broke with protocol by personally receiving Putin at Palam Airport during the Russian leader’s two-day visit to India.
After the talks in the SCO Summit hall, President Putin and I went to the place where our bilateral meeting would be held. Conversations with him are always enlightening. pic.twitter.com/oYZVGDLxtcNarendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025
The two leaders then drove in a white Toyota Fortuner to the prime minister’s residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where Putin later attended a private dinner.
A similar gesture was followed during Prime Minister Modi’s rare visit to Jordan, when Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally took him to the Jordan Museum in Amman. In the photos shared by the Prime Minister on the social media platform X, the 75-year-old leader is seen sitting in the passenger seat of the 31-year-old prince’s BMW.
The latest example of this personalized diplomatic support was seen during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ethiopia, where he was not only greeted at the airport by the Ethiopian prime minister but also taken to the hotel by him.
