PM Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled together by car from Tashkent airport to the presidential palace during Modi's two-day visit.
The informal interaction recalls similar moments between Modi and other world leaders, highlighting the personal dimension that can accompany formal diplomatic engagements.
India and Uzbekistan have elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of $5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shared a car ride in Tashkent after the Uzbek leader personally received Modi at the airport, in a gesture being described as the latest example of “car diplomacy”. The two leaders travelled together to the presidential palace, where they later held a dinner meeting during Modi's two-day visit to Uzbekistan.
Modi has shared car rides with leaders from US, Israel, the UAE, Russia, Germany, Jordan, the UK, and Japan, acknowledging India's personalised approach to diplomacy. More than a symbolic gesture, the initiative reflects India's growing soft power and its emphasis on fostering trust and strengthening bilateral ties through personal engagement.
What Happened During Modi's Car Ride?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm reception by the members of the Indian community at a hotel here after he arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday on a two-day official visit.
In a post on X, he said, “Landed in Tashkent to a warm welcome by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Grateful to him for the special gesture. This is my fourth visit to Uzbekistan, reflecting the depth and growing momentum of our bilateral relations.”
The two leaders travelled together by car. They went from the airport to the presidential palace. They later held a dinner meeting. Modi shared photographs and thanked Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome. The two leaders greeted each other with a smile and a hug.
Mirziyoyev and Modi also shared a hug after the latter was conferred the Order of “Oliy Darajali Dustlik,” Uzbekistan’s supreme state award.
What Is ‘Car Diplomacy’?
The phrase, ‘car diplomacy’ is being used for an informal diplomatic gesture in which leaders travel together rather than separately, creating a more personal setting than a formal motorcade or bilateral meeting.
This is a poignant reminder of Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelling together during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin.
Modi was being driven around Amman by Jordan's Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II during his 2025 visit. Modi was driven to his hotel by Ethiopia's prime minister during his visit in the country. The car diplomacy continued in Seychelles with President Patrick Herminie, and earlier with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meanwhile, India and Uzbekistan on Sunday decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and agreed to establish a framework for long-term supply of Uranium following talks between Modi and Mirziyoyev.
The talks focused on expanding cooperation in areas of trade, investment, infrastructure, critical minerals, mining, defence and security, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, health, information technology, digital public infrastructure including UPI and education.
The two sides also set a target of USD 5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The current volume of bilateral trade between the two nations is over USD 1 billion.
