Meetings of world leaders should be like this

Photo courtesy of China Daily
Vladimir Putin celebrated his birthday in the idyllic island of Bali. Among the party guests were the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the Asia Pacific and Asean countries. Xi Jin Ping was there too. And Putin had the honour of another President in Yudhoyono strumming the guitar and playing the birthday song for him. And all the PMs and Presidents sang Happy Birthday to Putin in a relax and joyous moment like an old boys' club. What an evening.
 
In a gathering of world leaders, it was about caramaderie and friendship, about building bridges and relationships. It was not about threats of military actions, sanctions or signing military pacts. It was not about warning countries that their national interests means the country has a right to thump table and expect other countries to let them run roughshod in their neighbourhood.
 
The APEC Asean summit was like a birthday party, about peaceful pursuits and trades, not about big bullies threatening everyone that they are here to stay, bringing their guns and warships, and to sign defence treaties to prepare to fight one another.
Happy birthday Putin. And what a gracious and charming host in Yudhoyono. It was a Bandung gathering of a different kind in a different time when Indonesia again played hosts to world leaders.