US President Barack Obama and UN Chief Ban Ki-moon had their last toast together before ending their terms.
US President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be ending their terms at the same time — and they grabbed the chance to have a last toast together.
The second five-year term of Ban Ki-moon will end on December 31 while Obama will leave the White House on January 20 after eight years of sitting as the presidente of the most powerful country in the world.
On Tuesday, Obama and Ban Ki-moon were seen toasting each other for the last time in front of the world’s leaders.
Laced with nostalgia, humor and tributes the said lunch was a unique event for the United Nations, participated by many countries in the world.
Annually, the U.N. chief hosts a formal lunch for the presidents, prime ministers and potentates attending the annual ministerial meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. Every year also, the president of United States serves as representative of the host country on behalf of the leaders.
According to the UN Secretary-General, the lunch on Tuesday was unique in his part.
“Never before have a president of the United States and a secretary-general of the United Nations completed their terms at about the same time — within just 20 days of each other.”
Sitting just a few feet away at the head table, Ban then looked at Barack Obama and said: “Mr. President, we need to find something to do!”
“I challenge you to a round of golf,” said Ban, whose whirlwind globe-trotting schedule doesn’t give him much time to play. “But please don’t challenge me to a game of basketball!”
Obama is a fan of playing golf and at the samet time an avid basketball player, but he didn’t say whether he would take up the secretary-general’s challenge — or what his future plans are when he step down as the president.
As a foreign minister of South Korea before taking the helm of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon also repeatedly refuses to say whether he will run for president of the country when his term ends.
Obama expressed his gratefulness on the leadership of the UN secretary-general and he told the more than 200 VIPs sitting at round tables in the U.N. Delegates Lounge overlooking New York’s East River.
“A village on the island of Samoa declared him officially a crown chief and prince — which I believe is a title that you can keep for life,” Obama said. “There’s no term limit to that.”
Obama also paid tribute to U.N. peacekeepers and staff and those who risk their lives in delivering help in Syria, a war-torn country.
He praised Ban’s leadership, courage, optimism and imagination. The president proposed a toast expressing gratitude for the secretary-general’s service saying “the world is a better place for him.”