The opening of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is rightly thought of as a time of great pomp and splendor, as scores of world leaders descend on New York.
And it is! But along with all the drama and whatnot comes a solid dosing of ~awkward~. This year's UNGA has had it in scores already and it's only the first day of the main event.
Like this, for example: Before speaking, there's the Official Waiting Chair that world leaders have to sit in. Without fail, it makes everyone — including President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan here — forget how to look like a human while sitting.
And then there's the awkward that comes along with deciding just who should be left to listen to the speeches that happen during the General Debate.
Iran's UN Ambassador & senior diplomats stayed for Obama's speech. US diplomats didn't stay for Rouhani. Not nice.
But the awkwardness in the main General Assembly hall is nothing compared to the informal meetings' awkward extravaganza. Take this amazing photobomb of President Obama greeting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
There's this epic bit of ~tension~ between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin that surely had everyone at the table casting nervous glances at each other.
(It was only made worse later in the day ahead of their first bilateral meeting in months.)
No comments from Presidents Obama and Putin in photo op at start of their UN meeting. (Photo by Scott Horsley/NPR).
Nah, it's cool, Putin. Nobody minds if you get on this call. We're sure it's very important and totally not actually Elton John that you're ignoring U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to talk to.
Speaking of phones, it seems like Obama also can't believe that South African President Jacob Zuma couldn't get off the phone for two seconds to say hello.
Later Zuma and French President Francois Hollande would appear to reenact the end of a junior prom for the photographers at the U.N.
Oh, and this "embrace" between Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their bilateral meeting is like a 9 out of 10 on the awkward scale.
Speaking of Modi, this seems a bit rude to do to a vegetarian who's sitting with Ban Ki-Moon.
Also re: lunch. Main course is caramelized beef short ribs. Modi at the table. (Awkward.)
So...yeah. Let's just all raise our glasses and pray that we get through this UNGA week.
