How Nalbandian ‘Pulled a Fast One’ on Sarkozy for Serzh Sargsyan: WikiLeaks

Then French Ambassador to Armenia “knows, dislikes, and disparages [then newly appointed foreign affairs minister Edward] Nalbandian,” writes then US Charge d’Affairs in Armenia Joseph Pennington in a confidential cable dated Apr. 23, 2008, recently released by WikiLeaks.

 

The US diplomat notes that Nalbandian, formerly Armenia’s ambassador in Paris, is considered “pro-Moscow” and is disliked also by the “foreign ministry rank and file” who are “similarly disenchanted” with him. Pennington then describes an incident in which Nalbandian deceived French President Nicolas Sarkozky:

 

“Both the French Ambassador and DCM [Deputy Chief of Mission] have separately confessed to emboffs [embassy officials or officers] that Nalbandian pulled a fast one on the Elysee Palace, which is why French President Sarkozy’s effusive congratulations to Sargsyan was among the very first such letter to arrive. It seems that a Nalbandian contact in the Elysee Palace had shared with Nalbandian an advance draft copy of a proposed Sarkozy congratulations letter, and Nalbandian promptly released the text to the media as the final product, correctly gambling that the French administration would find it too embarassing to publicly disavow the draft.”