Sat, 03 Jul 2004

Flags fall for Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stumbled onstage on Friday -- perhaps feeling the accumulated weight of the week's meetings -- as he rose to sign a counterterrorism agreement with the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).

During the ceremony, Lavrov nearly hit the floor and knocked over the national flags lined up behind the seats of foreign ministers gathered. One of the flags almost hit the Vietnamese foreign minister in the head.

The silence of the room broke as several delegates were unable to contain their laughter, and offered a moment of respite as the ASEAN meetings drew to a close on Friday. -- JP