A lighthearted exchange between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly has gone viral. In a short video widely shared on social media, the two diplomats are seen shaking hands before beginning their talks. When Ignazio Cassis asked how he was doing, Sergey Lavrov smiled and replied, “I am fine- in biological terms."
The offbeat remark drew laughter online, with many social media users noting the rare moment of levity during the tense High-level Week in New York. Sergey Cassis, himself a trained physician, responded, “This is a good answer, for a medical doctor."
Sergey Lavrov then joked back, “I thought you were mentioning Ursula von der Leyen."
Switzerlands foriegn minister asks Russia’s foreign minist