Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel Greet Each Other With 'Namaste', Video Symbolic of COVID-19 Era

Paris, August 21: In a video which is symbolic of the COVID-19 era, the heads of two major world powers greeted each other with 'Namaste' ahead of their official meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron, while welcoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel to his presidential palace of Fort de Bregancon in France's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, was seen folding his hand and greeting the visiting dignitary. Benjamin Netanyahu Encourages Israelis to Adopt Indian way of Greeting ‘Namaste’ and Avoid Handshakes Amid Coronavirus Scare.

Merkel reciprocated the gesture by slightly leaning forward and joining both of her hands. After their style of greeting each other gained traction among netizens, the All India Radio (AIR) - an official media arm of the Government of India - tweeted the video with the caption 'Namaste is global!'

"Namaste is Global! When Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany greet each other with Namaste," the AIR tweeted.

Watch Video of Macron, Merkel Greeting Each Other With Namaste

Namaste is an Indian form of greeting, where the persons meeting each other slightly bow down and join both of their hands. The cultural practice is distinct from the commonly adopted practise of shaking hands or embracing each other. It has gained popularity since the outbreak of coronavirus, as the social distancing norms bar people from physically contacting one another.

Macron and Merkel, in their discussions held on Thursday, focused on the de-escalation of tensions in the Mediterranean region. The two leaders called upon the leaderships of Turkey and Greece to hold a dialogue to resolve the dispute between them.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2020 09:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).