NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin got into Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s white SUV instead of the Aurus car that was waiti...
NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin got into Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s white SUV instead of the Aurus car that was waiting for him as a sign of courtesy, a TASS correspondent reported.
Putin got into the car on the right, where the guest of honor traditionally sits, as India drives on the left side of the road.
The Russian leader usually rides a domestically made Aurus luxury car during visits to Russian regions and other countries. Oftentimes, Putin holds informal conversations with the other party in the car. This was particularly the case in September, when Putin gave a ride to the Indian prime minister in his Aurus car to the venue of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China. The car was served as the two leaders came out of a building, Putin explained later. "We just got in together like good friends," the Russian leader noted. Putin and Modi did not get out of the car after they reached their destination but spent about 50 more minutes inside talking one-on-one.
A similar thing happened in Alaska, where Russia-US talks kicked off in US President Donald Trump’s car traveling to the meeting's venue. The Russian leader also held a one-on-one conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the same manner.
The media describe such situations as "limousine diplomacy." Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that when heads of state "are discussing important things, they simply don’t have time to spend on walking somewhere or riding in a car."
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