Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev surprised Slovak President Peter Pellegrini with an unexpected gesture of hospitality by personally driving the vehicle during part of their official visit, leaving a lasting impression on the visiting leader.

Sharing the experience on X, President Pellegrini said the continuation of the official program in such a way was highly unusual, noting that it is rare for a host head of state to personally take the wheel during an official visit, The Caspian Post reports via President Pellegrini's message on X.

For the next part of our program, President Aliyev and I proceeded in a rather unusual way. It is certainly not customary for a host head of state to personally take the wheel during an official visit. I was truly delighted by this extraordinary and thoughtful gesture. It spoke… pic.twitter.com/yZwuRnTARY

— Peter Pellegrini (@PellegriniP_) July 14, 2026

Pellegrini said he was genuinely touched by the thoughtful gesture, describing it as a memorable expression of hospitality from the Azerbaijani president.

According to the Slovak leader, the gesture reflected the warm relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia, as well as the friendship, mutual trust, and respect that underpin the partnership between the two countries.

Pellegrini also expressed his sincere gratitude to President Aliyev for what he described as a memorable display of hospitality.