While Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are said to enjoy a warm friendship, an image from the duo’s meeting on the sidelines of the SCO meeting at Tianjin in China went viral for the right reasons. The image showed Modi enjoying a ride in Putin’s Presidential limousine, Aurus Senat.
Putin’s decision to give Modi a ride in his vehicle to the SCO venue reflects the deep friendship enjoyed by both leaders, according to Russian media. Kremlin pool journalist Pavel Zarubin reported on his Telegram channel that the decision was made in a few minutes, and no one knew about it.
Putin and Modi arrived at the Russian leader's residence in China, the Ritz-Carlton. They spent almost an hour alone and went to negotiations with the participation of delegations. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “They talked in the car while they were driving. Then they continued to talk in the car before they joined the delegation. They are continuing the negotiations,” Peskov told reporters.
According to Russian media, the unexpected episode involving the Aurus was not only a gesture of friendship but also put the spotlight on the Russian auto industry. “For the Aurus brand, this is a strong image move, emphasising the role of the car in international politics,” a Russian website added.
The Aurus Senat is the Russian-made car that serves as the official state car of Russia. Aurus replaced Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman, though Putin was spotted driving the German car earlier. The Aurus Senat is designed with a retro style, reminiscent of the 1945 ZIS-110 Soviet limousine.
Interestingly, Putin’s vehicle spotted a Chinese number plate. According to Peskov, this is a common practice while using Russian vehicles in China. “In China, always only with Chinese license plates ,” he explained .