During his visit to Ethiopia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Abiy Ahmed at the Addis Ababa airport. This warm reception reflected a strong gesture of respect and personal rapport between the two leaders.
A New Style of Personal Diplomacy on Display
Moreover, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself drove PM Modi to his hotel. Along the way, both leaders made an unscheduled stop at the Science Museum and Friendship Park, before proceeding to the prime minister’s place of stay. According to PTI, this informal interaction highlighted a growing trend of close and personal diplomatic engagement.
After welcoming me at Addis Ababa airport, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali drove me to the Science Museum in the city. This Museum showcases different aspects of science and innovation and how they can be harnessed for Ethiopia’s progress.@AbiyAhmedAli pic.twitter.com/BKxxCBfKdk
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2025
These gestures come just a day after PM Modi was driven by Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II during his visit to Jordan. As a result, such moments have sparked discussion around a new diplomatic style now being referred to as ‘car diplomacy’.
The ‘Car Diplomacy’
The trend of ‘car diplomacy’ first drew attention earlier this year at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, when PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled together by car for their bilateral meeting. Later, PM Modi went a step further by personally receiving President Putin at Palam Airport during his two-day visit to India.
Subsequently, both leaders travelled together in a white Toyota Fortuner to the prime minister’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, where President Putin attended a private dinner. Similarly, during PM Modi’s rare visit to Jordan, Crown Prince Al Hussein personally drove him to the Jordan Museum in Amman. Images shared on social media showed PM Modi seated beside the young prince in his BMW.
Finally, the latest example of this evolving diplomatic style was seen in Ethiopia, where PM Modi was not only receivedat the airport but also personally driven by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Together, these moments underline a shift toward more personal, symbolic, and informal diplomacy in India’s foreign engagements.