As the thirteenth annual World Leaders Forum approaches, we thought we’d take a #tbt to the very first of these exciting events. Mia Lindheimer found all that was said and done at the monumental “celebrity marquee,” courtesy of the Columbia Spectator Archives.

Putin swooping into the World Leaders Forum

In September 2003, Columbia welcomed the likes of eight world leaders, including the one and only Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. While Putin managed to squeeze his speech at Columbia in between “an address at the UN and…a pickup game of baseball,” he didn’t seem to have much prepared, and the session turned into what was more of a Q&A between Putin and students.

Putin spoke well of the United States, reminding students that “When we have been together, we have always achieved success and triumphed over evil, tyranny and prejudice.” Putin claimed that, at this point in history, Americans and Russians profoundly misunderstand each other, especially as Cold War stereotypes remain abundant. Following the speech, Columbia students were given the chance to ask Putin questions, and they asked about a variety of issues including AIDS and Russian freedom of expression.

Putin admiring a Columbia Lions jersey

Perhaps in an attempt to better understand us Americans, Putin oversaw a baseball game between a Russian youth team and a “Harlem RBI youth squad” while hanging out with the president of Major League Baseball and trying on his very own Columbia Lions jersey. Petition to get Obama and Putin together for a pic in their CU gear?

Another big speaker was the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, emphasizing the importance of his budding country’s constitution, which was still in the works, and mentioning the need for economic support for recovery and negotiations with the Bush administration (SO long ago). More talk of economic development came from Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who impressed audiences with evidence of India’s quick development.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi also made an appearance, during which he stressed the need for flexibility in the United States’ involvement in the Middle East, and of course assured us that Iran wasn’t looking to develop any nuclear weapons. Okay, sure.

A guide to the first World Leader’s Forum, in pictures:

Vintage Putin via Columbia Spectator Archives; Putin on an eagle via someone’s art blog