Edward Nalbandian's Russian roulette: Self-deception as an antidote against fear

No need to envy Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. He is really having a difficult time. The president is applying pressure, the opposition is threatening to teach him a lesson, and radicals make constant threats to him. Moreover, every second Nalbandian is thinking about himself, and his future, because the future of a man in present-day Armenia is something like Russian roulette – you never know what will happen when you pull the trigger.

But the worst thing is that he has to lie upon the order of his  president and even to the president himself constantly. He has to tell a lie also to co-chairs, supporters, opponents, ordinary citizens of the country and many others. The notion of "truth" is in shortage in Armenia. Not every heart, in particular, so to speak, the heart of the Armenian bureaucrat will endure it.

Nalbandian deceives people from early morning until late at night. He deceives his deputies, employees and media. Finally, the turn has reached the parliamentarians. The Armenian foreign minister visited the local parliament as part of the government hour, where he told the national elected representatives that ostensibly the countries co-chairing the Minsk Group understand the need for involving representatives of “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” in the negotiations on settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

"We have reiterated on many occasions that it is impossible to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh without “NKR” participation. I can say that our approach regarding the participation of "NKR" is understood by the three co-chairs,” the minister added.

Azerbaijan has stated many times that Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh will participate  in the negotiations sooner or later. Azerbaijan has repeatedly said that representatives of the Armenian community may join the negotiations at a certain time. Azerbaijan has also made it clear that it can happen once the occupied Azerbaijani lands will be returned to Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction. And the talks will also involve representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs exactly mean the same thing when they say Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should also participate in the negotiations. Fortunately, they have repeatedly voiced their opinion on this subject which fully coincides with that of Azerbaijan.

It is incorrect to think that persons who listen Nalbandian’s voice sit in the Armenian parliament. Perhaps there are such people among the deputies, but I am confident that they are still a minority. The MPs know real truth better than Nalbandian, and maybe even better, because some of them are closer to Serzh Sargsyan than the minister himself.

In this case, for whom this lie was designed? For those who are the most naive? Hardly. For the press? If so, he could bring together representatives of mass media, and not make such reports in parliament.

So, it turns out that the lie in the parliament was aimed at ... himself. He was scared. He is afraid for his future, which is very vague in the light of recent rumors about the expected change of half of the cabinet of the Government. He is scared for his own country which is heading nowhere. Fears make Nalbandian deceive himself. He deceives himself to get comfort.
Nalbandian has overlied to the extent that he no longer knows where is the truth and falsehood.

This is an integral feature of self-deception. And, apparently, most Armenian officials have already passed through it...

H. Hamidov
Day.Az writer