Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a departure from protocol and received King of Jordan Abdullah II at the Delhi airport. The monarch is on a three-day visit.
Modi landed at the airport from a tour of poll-bound Karnataka. He received the King and the duo hugged each other on the tarmac.
“India welcomes His Majesty @KingAbdullahII Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of #Jordan on his State Visit. Deviating from protocol, PM @narendramodi welcomes His Majesty at the Airport. India attaches great importance to its ties with Jordan,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on Twitter.
The Prime Minister had made a similar departure from protocol for former US President Barack Obama in January 2015. He had also received Abu Dhabi’s crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the airport. Modi had an overnight stopover at Amman, the capital of Jordan, on his way to Palestine earlier this month. (Deccan Herald )
