In Special Gesture, Ethiopian PM Drives PM Modi In His Car To Bid Farewell

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to him as he emplaned for Oman.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s car diplomacy is all set to create a new global trend. The Prime Minister, within just a few hours, was seen twice sitting next to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, with the later driving himself.

As PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia for a two-day visit – his first bilateral trip to the African nation- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali made a notable gesture by personally receiving him at the Addis Ababa airport and driving him to his hotel. Taking his generous act to another level the Ethiopian PM on Wednesday again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport to personally bid him farewell.

The move showed the warmth of India–Ethiopia ties and highlighted India’s deepening engagement with the African continent. PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday in the second leg of his three-nation visit. This will be his first visit to the African country.

PM Modi’s ‘Car Diplomacy’

The Ethiopia visit is an addition in a series of high-profile instances where PM Modi has shared informal car rides with world leaders during official engagements.

Recently, PM Modi broke protocol to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin at Palam Airport in New Delhi and gave him a ride in the back seat of a white Toyota Fortuner to his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

Putin was in India after four years for a two-day visit to attend the India-Russia Annual Summit.

The gesture followed a ride in 2025 where PM Modi joined Putin in his Russian-made Aurus senate limousine during an SCO summit in China.

PM Modi’s Fortuner gesture sent a message of “independent foreign policy” and the “Make in India” initiative amid Western sanctions on Russia.

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