look news india
In international diplomacy, the protocols and formal security circles are very strict, where every activity of the heads of state is bounded within the framework of set standards and security rules. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a new definition of diplomatic dialogue during his 12 years in office. The world knows this as ‘Car Diplomacy’. During international forums and bilateral visits, when the heads of state of the world’s most powerful countries open the doors of their bulletproof limousines and official vehicles and allow PM Modi to sit with them or drive the vehicle themselves, it is not just a personal rapport between the two leaders, but becomes a living proof of India’s growing geopolitical status in the world. There have been more than 11 rare occasions in the last 12 years when world leaders have shared a car ride with the Indian Prime Minister, bypassing established safety protocols.
The most talked about and latest chapter of car diplomacy was written on Russian soil, when Russian President Vladimir Putin not only warmly welcomed PM Modi at his official residence Novo-Ogaryovo, but also took him on a tour of his personal complex by driving an electric golf cart and car. Even before this, during the Sochi summit, Putin had carried forward the informal talks by making PM Modi sit in his official car. Strategic analysts believe that apart from closed-door meetings, informal talks while sitting in the same car create deep trust between the leaders of the two countries, which proves to be very helpful in solving complex global issues.
In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Washington on a historic visit to America, American President Barack Obama created history. Obama bypassed the strictest rules of the American Secret Service and made PM Modi sit on the seat next to him in ‘The Beast’, the official car of the US President, considered to be the safest in the world. Both the leaders had reached Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial together. This was the first time that a foreign head of state had traveled like this in the armored vehicle of the US President. This scene heralded the beginning of a new era in India-US relations in the international media.
When the phase of informal summits started in the relations between India and China, a spectacular sight of car diplomacy was seen. In Wuhan, China, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a long conversation with PM Modi sitting in the same special golf cart on the banks of the lake. In response, when Xi Jinping visited Mahabalipuram, India, Prime Minister Modi shared a vehicle with him while visiting historical monuments. Beyond the protocol, this meeting worked to keep the window of direct communication open at the top level even amidst the border disputes between the two countries.
PM Modi’s personal chemistry has been the biggest factor in taking India’s relations with the countries of the Middle East to new heights.
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UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan: When PM Modi arrived on his visit to Abu Dhabi, the then Crown Prince and current President of UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed himself drove PM Modi from the airport to the hotel and private palace. In Arab culture, it is considered a sign of the highest respect for a head of state to personally handle the steering for a foreign guest.
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: During his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also broke the protocol and made PM Modi sit with him in his private car, which gave unprecedented strength to the security and energy relations between the two countries.
There are several historical examples of PM Modi’s car and train diplomacy in Europe and East Asia as well:
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Emmanuel Macron: When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived as the chief guest on India’s Republic Day or when PM Modi went to Paris, both the leaders transformed ‘strategic partnership’ into ‘personal friendship’ by traveling together in open vehicles and armored cars.
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Late Shinzo Abe: Former Prime Minister of Japan, late Shinzo Abe had done a road show with PM Modi in an open jeep during his visit to Ahmedabad and had also laid the foundation of India-Japan Special Strategic Partnership by traveling together in Shinkansen bullet train and cars in Tokyo.
According to diplomatic experts and former ambassadors, in formal meetings each leader is accompanied by the Foreign Minister, the National Security Advisor (NSA) and an army of note-takers, where the conversations are very measured and scripted. In contrast, when two powerful leaders travel 20 to 40 minutes in the same car, there is no third person present (except an interpreter or driver). This is the time when both leaders can openly and candidly express their views on each other’s political pressures, strategic concerns and sensitive international issues (such as war, sanctions, energy security).
This kind of special honor being shown by the world’s top leaders 11 times in 12 years proves that today’s India has become a superpower that sets the global agenda. Be it maintaining its strategic autonomy beyond factionalism among the superpowers or becoming the voice of the developing countries, this ‘personal connect’ and ‘car diplomacy’ of PM Narendra Modi has proved to be the sharpest weapon to safeguard India’s interests on international forums.