At a high-profile meet-up in Doha last weekend‚ Sergei Lavrov – Russias most experienced diplomat showed an un-usual side of his personality. The typically composed minister (whos been in office longer than any other foreign minister worldwide) got into a tense back-and-forth with an Al-Jazeera English host
The discussion heated up when talking about Syria; specifically about Bashar al-Assadʼs leadership. Lavrov seemed irritated by the hosts choice of words: he didnt like the term “opposition“ for Syrian rebel groups – insisting they should be called terrorists instead. The minister also expressed his dis-satisfaction about not getting enough time to talk about whats happening in Ukraine
The exchange showed a rare crack in Lavrovʼs typically cool demeanor – something that caught many observers off-guard at this Middle-eastern diplomatic gathering. The minister who usually keeps his emotions in check seemed quite bothered by the direction of questions; making several attempts to shift the conversations focus