President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, but while most world leaders have been schmoozing in New York, Obama is back on the campaign trail already with one of his aides offering the lame excuse that he just doesn't have time to meet with foreign leaders right now. So who took the leading role as head of state in New York this week? That would be Hillary Clinton. The secretary of state has been omnipresent at U.N. events this week, meeting, greeting, and seemingly time travelling to be in so many places at once.
At the Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Clinton took a moment to speak with British Foreign Minister William Hague.
Here, Clinton pregames for her trip to New York, meeting with Karel Schwarzenberg, foreign minister of the Czech Republic at the State Department last Friday. In an exclusive interview with 's The Cable, Schwarzenberg said that the West was too slow in responding to the growing influence of Russia as a regional hegemon.
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Last Friday, Sept. 21, was a full day for Clinton as she greeted visiting dignitaries before traveling to New York for the general debate at the United Nations. Above, she speaks at a joint press conference with Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar before their private bilateral meeting at the State Department.
On Monday, the day before the speeches began at the United Nations, Clinton started her morning speaking at the meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Here she is greeted by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, after he delivered an introduction to her remarks.
Also on Monday, Clinton met with Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari in New York after meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister on Friday. During a discussion about the recent riots over the film The Innocence of Muslims, Zardari told Clinton, "One or two insane persons should not be allowed to endanger world peace in the garb of freedom of expression."
Clinton held four diplomatic meetings with foreign heads of state on Monday. Here she shakes hands with the president of Libya's National Congress, Mohamed Magariaf, in New York. "The United States was proud to stand with you and the Libyan people as you fought for your country last year," Clinton told Magariaf, according to ABC. "And we will continue to stand with you as you now write Libya's new future as a democracy that will give all of your people a chance to have a better future."
She also met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday. They discussed plans for U.S. forces in Afghanistan now that the surge has quietly ended.
Clinton's last meeting on Monday was with Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy. They discussed the recent embassy protests and free speech issues.
On Tuesday, Clinton spent the morning in meetings with Obama and U.N. officials before another round of bilaterals with heads of state. Here, she takes a lunch break at the Head of State Luncheon, hosted by U.N. secretary general Ban Ki-moon. She also held meetings with officials from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Belgium, and Greece, as well as the secretary general of the Arab League.
On Wednesday, Clinton met with Moncef Marzouki, the new president of Tunisia. By the time this picture was taken, she had already delivered two speeches and met with the king of Jordan and the foreign minister of Turkey.
