Pool Report on Secretary-General’s Lunch for World Leaders
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The luncheon hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for leaders of the 193 member states attending the 70th anniversary meeting of the General Assembly took place in the newly renovated Delegates Lounge, where floor-to-ceiling blue curtains blocked the view of the East River, a security measure.
The room was decorated with the flags of all member states and for the first time at a ministerial meeting of the GA, the flags of the two non-member observer states, the Holy See and Palestine, were at the end of the line. The flags were arrayed in a line in front of the windows. Tables were decorated with wide glass vases filled with an array of fall flowers in yellow, orange and blue, with some berries.
The salad _ a smoked trout and cucumber timbale with pickled celery, “hearts of fire” _ was in front of each place and as the VIPs were arriving in the room and being escorted to their seats, chefs in white hats were walking around with plastic bottles squeezing a mango mustard emulsion on top.
The luncheon was to begin after Ban’s scheduled arrival at 1:30pm _ but he didn’t arrive until about 1:48pm. So many of the leaders wandered around chatting, and some sat eating their salads.
Obama arrived about 1:51pm, stopping at half a dozen tables to shake hands with leaders. He was seated at the head table next to secretary-general Ban, on his right, and as soon as Obama sat down, Ban stepped to the microphone to make the traditional toast to heads of state and government. (See text at the bottom).
Putin, who was supposed to sit next to the secretary-general. on his left, had not arrived. Midway through Ban’s remarks, Putin showed up, wending his way through the tables to his seat. He did not lean over and shake Obama’s hand.
Ban’s speech drew laughter from the leaders when he said: “Only at the United Nations can Pope Francis and Shakira appear on the same stage within minutes of each other! I didn’t know whether I should pray or dance.” And there was applause after he said football great David Beckham and Hollywood star Michael Douglas were also at the U.N. and “could make a blockbuster movie with a brilliant soundtrack. But they were here to make peace.”
The leaders also applauded when Ban said “only at the United Nations can so many world leaders, from so many different traditions, with so many different views, break bread together like this today.”
He then thanked the “distinguished heads of state and government for being part of one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history.”
Ban toasted the leaders, the prosperity of their countries, and the prosperity of the world _ and he toasted the United Nations “which in its 70th year is as vital and necessary as ever.”
For the toast, the leaders could choose from an Italian sparkling rose from 2014 from Luigi Giusta Bolla which was served with the salad course, or a red NQN Malma Universo Blend from 2012 from Patagonia in Argentina, which was for the main course and had already been poured. There was also water and soft drinks.
When the secretary-general raised his glass saying “cheers to the United Nations,” the leaders responded in a number of languages that echoed across the room including “skol.”
Obama, responding on behalf of the United States as the host country for the United Nations, then stood up saying he thought Ban designed his toast to follow his speech to the General Assembly “to keep me brief.” The U.S. president’s address to the world body lasted 43 minutes _ nearly triple the 15 minutes allotted to each country.
The president welcomed the leaders and thanked them “for all the work we have done together.”
Obama said he particularly wanted to thank the secretary-general “for his outstanding” work especially on humanitarian issues, in pursuing adoption of the new U.N. development goals, and on climate change. He said he admired Ban’s counsel.
“I’m glad you think we are all lucky to have this many challenges,” Obama said. “I don’t know whether you personally always feel that way. But because of your tireless work, the world is a better place. We very much appreciate you.”
The leaders applauded loudly.
Obama then quoted the late U.N. secretary-general Dag Hammarskjold who said “the pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its acceptance and its setbacks, can never be relaxed, and can never be abandoned.”
He said the world has witnessed “this institution’s enormous power to resolve conflicts,” protect people and promote cooperation, including between former adversaries.
“But we are facing extraordinary challenges today, ones that test our capacity to work together _ humanitarian crises, challenges to the international order, threats to human rights,” Obama said. “And so our ability to come together as the United Nations is being threatened once again.”
But he said the leaders have the ability to create opportunities for their people, provide security, address terrorism or the ravages of climate change.
“I feel optimistic that we can tackle these problems if we all work together. And this institution will be critical in order for us to achieve those goals,” Obama said.
“There is no problem that man has caused that man cannot solve if we are bold enough, deploy our imagination, have the political will, and recognize our common humanity. That’s what the United Nations is about. That’s what our Secretary General has been about,” the president said.
Obama then proposed a toast “to all nations, to the United Nations, to the people that we represent and to the people who have responsibilities. May we never relax in our pursuit of progress and may we never abandon the pursuit of peace.”
Obama clinked his glass with the secretary-general’s and several other leaders at the head table while standing _ and with Putin when he sat down.
Others at the head table were Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Austria’s President Heinz Fischer, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander, South Korea’s President Park Geun-Hye, Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena, and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda who was on Obama’s right. King Abdullah was on Putin’s left.
The pool was escorted out and the main course was then about to be served _ Carmelized beef short ribs with “yellow creamer, baby beets, rainbow Swiss chard and butternut squash puree, morel mushrooms, sauce bordelaise.” Dessert was a “spiced wild berry compote, cardamon, star anise infused syrup, chocolate strawberry,” served with a 2007 dessert wine from Hungary’s Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszu.
Edith Lederer, Associated Press
With Contributions from Raghida Dergham of Al-Hayat and Kahraman Haliscelik, TRT Turkish Radio and Television