Why the hell is our Defense Secretary bowing?

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – JUNE 6: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (R) bows as he shakes hands with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense, General-Colonel Safar Abiyev on the tarmac at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport June 6, 2010 in Baku, Azerbaijan. On the table in front of Aliyev is a letter from President Barack Obama. Gates left Singapore earlier today after participating in the Shangri-La Dialogue’s Asia Security Summit, which ran from June 4 to 6, 2010. DL
Tags: Defense Gates Bowing