Mhux ghal ghajnha ‘siehbi’? Gas down ghal gol-hajt.

This cannot be true, because how can Glenn Bedingfield fit in a Fiat 500?

As someone who has to negotiate on a continuous basis to run my business, I can spot a lot of things going on in this picture.

The most obvious one is the positioning: two sides across a table.

Compounding this, the room has been designed to make the home side look big, accomplished and also make Azerbaijan look important.

I do not think that we even have a similar room in Malta, with the exception of one at the Auberge de Castille but even that is homelier.

That already means a difference that needs to be negotiated around.

Two unbalanced sides, with 10 on one side and 4 on the other.

The room layout has been expressly designed to intimidate. ‘We are bigger than you are. Now what?’

Even the number of empty seats on the Malta side has been calculated to convey the message ‘Look here, you can’t even fill this up, what do you want to tell us that is so important that we had to come here to meet you?’

The Azeri side has older men, not even one of the same age group of the Malta side: ‘Look here boys, we are better than you because we are older’. Playing on the psychological aspect of deference to more experienced, older, worldly wise men.

The seating posture of both sides: the Azeri side looks relaxed, formal, polite and expectant, not even a hint of friendliness.

The Malta side is extremely tense, not trusting, a bit afraid and also overwhelmed.

I can say that the techniques used by Azerbaijan to intimidate and impress the Malta side have worked.

Let’s look at the posture of the Malta side.

Kurt Farrugia: hand covering his mouth, perhaps even biting the back of his hand. He is so out of his depth that he is unconsciously signalling to all around him that he is does not want to contribute anything to the situation and to leave him alone.

I do not even think it is his place to be at the negotiating table; he should be outside the room waiting for orders. No PR guy should be at an international negotiating table as the implicit signal is that what you tell us will be told to the world.

Konrad Mizzi: conspicuously invisible in the photos as he has sunk low in his chair.

Joseph Muscat: highly tense, strung tight and under extreme duress. Maybe he is trying to save a situation which he knows will put him in great difficulties. Obviously negotiating from an inferior position.

Keith Farrugia: his posture speaks volumes. He is slumping forward on the table, giving the impression that he is deflated. There must be a big disappointment hanging in the air, maybe he put the PM in this position and now is realising that it is going to backfire.

One aspect is totally out of kilter: is Malta trying to buy gas from Azerbaijan or the other way round?

Buyers should never go to sellers unless they are in an inferior position and desperate. It gives the edge to the seller, who would be driving a harder bargain.

When are we going to get things right?

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141216/local/opposition-insists-energy-deals-should-be-published-or-it-may-take-its-own-action.548532

Title seems to indicate that the Opposition has something up its sleeve. KonratGate hatching soon?

Muscat and his band of thieves and scoundrels are rolling happily in corrupt practices and monumental policy f*ck-ups and the damage they have done in less than two years is unquantifiable already.

This time round the devastation of the democratic, judicial, environmental and financial systems will be so complete that repairing and restoring them will be a much more daunting and lengthy task than it was post-1987.

So addio Joseph Muscat and Phenomenal Konrad and their costed concrete power station roadmap.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1663148/china-prepares-inject-us10-billion-funds-cash-strapped-balkans

What an exaggeration.

There are 10 persons in that photograph, meeting the four lads from Malta, and at least one of them is the Azerbaijani ambassador to Malta. Some would be bureaucrats.

The Azerbaijani cabinet is made up of the prime minister, first deputy prime minister, another five deputy prime ministers and 20 ministers. Then there are a number of committee chairmen and chiefs.

http://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/2203636.html

http://azertag.az/en/xeber/Maltese_Premier_visits_Heydar_Aliyev_Center-818782

These pictures remind me of “the Kim Jong Un looking at things” pics from North Korea.

http://azertag.az/en/xeber/Maltese_Premier_deeply_impressed_by_Icheri_Sheher-818695