How Modi Is Changing Global Diplomacy With Bean Tacos And Dosas Across The World

Kunal Anand
Kunal Anand
Updated on Jun 09, 2016, 13:34 IST-6.2 K Shares
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Even while rustling up investments worth billions for India, PM Narendra Modi constantly looks like he's having fun. Instead of the formal press meetings and handshaking that typified our previous PMs, this one is ensuring he's having a good time, and casually changing the rule book of how diplomacy is conducted.

Modi and the President of Mexico stepped out for bean tacos at a local restaurant 

In a special gesture, Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday drove Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a restaurant for Mexican vegetarian fare. The two headed to a restaurant called ‘Quintonil’ to bond over a vegetarian dinner. Earlier, Nieto also took to Twitter to welcome Mr. Modi, who flew in from Washington for a brief visit to Mexico. The President drove Modi out to the restaurant himself, where they sat among other diners. 

This isn't the first time though. Modi and Malaysian PM stepped out to a South Indian hole-in-the-wall restaurant earlier this year

On his maiden visit to Singapore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a vegetarian dinner with his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and his wife at an Indian restaurant in Little India, Little India is a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where South Asians working in Singapore spend their day off.

To be fair, this ‘smart casual’ version of diplomacy isn’t exclusive to Modi alone. Here’s some other leaders of the world’s most powerful nations. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping chilled with beer with UK PM David Cameron

Chinese President Xi Jinping headed for a traditional British pub on Thursday, during his state visit, indulging in a beer and a portion of traditional fish and chips with Prime Minister David Cameron. The two world leaders had ales at The Plough, an establishment close to the British prime minister's residence of Chequers northwest of London. They drank "traditional English bitter" and "traditional English fish and chips", he said proudly, adding: "I was highly delighted". The pub traces its history back to the 16th century when it was a staging post for London coaches.

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Obama had a 6 dollar meal and a beer in Vietnam

The President's chopstick skills are on point . #buncha #hanoi

A photo posted by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on May 23, 2016 at 7:22am PDT

Taking time off his Presidential visit to Vietnam, US President Barack Obama spent some time having a local experience in Hanoi with the best man he could find, Anthony Bourdain. The duo got together to discuss Vietnamese culture and cuisine in an upcoming episode of season 8 of Anthony Bourdain show. 

The dinner lasted long enough for a substantial crowd to gather outside to meet the President. The bun-cha dinner cost the television host $6. Since the President was the guest, Bourdain picked up the cheque! Barack Obama was on an Asia visit and travelled to Ho Chi Minh City for the G-7 summit.

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