Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna committed a faux pas in the UN Security Council Friday when he read out the Portuguese delegate's speech, instead of India's, before an aide intervened and he turned to his own text.
During a debate in the 15-member Council on security and development, a subject on which most delegates made identical speeches, Krishna, for inexplicable reasons, read the wrong speech for about three minutes before India's envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, came forward and pointed to the Indian speech in a stack of papers in front of his minister. With mikes on, an embarrassed Krishna whispered to his ambassador: Should I read it from the beginning? The ambassador said, "Yes, you can start again".
Krishna read Portuguese foreign minister Luis Amado's speech, without realising his mistake as the first portion was about development and security, the theme of the Council's debate. But a couple of lines were definitely out of place: "On a more personal note, allow me to express my profound satisfaction regarding the happy coincidence of having two members of the Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), Brazil and Portugal, together here today," Krishna said.
Krishna went on to say, "The European Union is also responding in this manner in co-ordination with the United Nations..." At this point Ambassador Puri intervened and told him to restart. (Portugal is a member of the European Union). The Portugal minister had already delivered his before India. Krishna was in New York on a two-day visit to push India's agenda for Security Council reforms.
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