Lavrov steals some limelight from Kerry

AFP, Jo Biddle, Eye witness, 15 Sep 2013

AFP Photo/Philippe Desmazes

Time was dragging. For almost two hours we'd been waiting for US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to reveal whether they had a deal on Syria's chemical weapons.

And then in one extraordinary moment, Lavrov slipped unannounced  into the back of a ballroom in a Geneva hotel where the world's press was camped out Saturday and cozied up to a group of women journalists from his travelling pool for a chat.

Sharing a seat with one of them, he began talking in a confidential, low voice, telling them how three days of non-stop negotiations had gone -- giving them an exclusive preview of what the world was still waiting to hear. Within moments, camera crews who had been idly checking their equipment to keep in-creeping boredom at bay, realized what was happening.

There was a jostling as everyone tried to crowd around to listen in, with Lavrov studiously ignoring the growing mob asking the women if they'd enjoyed their time in Geneva, and whether they'd bought any Swiss chocolate.

AFP Photo/Philippe Desmaze

Finally a journalist with the US television channel NBC news interrupted the Russian conversation to ask how the talks had gone.

"I liked it, the meeting was very good. You will listen in a second, I'm just killing my time because I have nothing to do," Lavrov replied in English. "This is my private time," he insisted as those outside the intimate circle and hungry for information began to shout out that he should address everyone.

Then Fox News chief Washington correspondent James Rosen reached over and handed Lavrov a cartoon portrait he had sketched to while away the time on his notepad. Taking the paper, Lavrov studied it intensely: "The one in the French media was much more nasty," he pronounced, before asking "Why did you darken my nose?"

"There were no implications," Rosen replied, before assuring the Russian foreign minister he could keep it in return for an interview.

Courtesy of Fox News television chief Washington correspondent James Rosen

Visibly pleased with the drawing, Lavrov folded it up and put it in his breast pocket. "I wouldn't be able to give you an interview worthy of this," he replied, provoking a storm of laughter. Pressed again to reveal whether he and Kerry had struck a deal, he said the meetings were "excellent."

"You will hear it from us in a minute," he said. "You should be more concerned about the Syrian people, not about the negotiations," he insisted. When asked if he had spoken with the Syrian government during the three days of negotiations, he shot back: "No, did you?" And he described Kerry as "a good friend, I think we can work together."

With the focus on where Lavrov was sitting, it took a few moments to realise that Kerry was also entering the room. "Secretary John Kerry's on his way," came the shout from the front of the ballroom.

And with that Lavrov stood up and strode away to join "his friend" on the podium, adorned with American and Russian flags, overlooking the room.

Whether he had planned the whole scene to deliberately upstage Kerry is unlikely to ever be known. But there's little doubt that Lavrov probably savored the moment that he stole the show.

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US and Russia in landmark deal on Syria weapons