In brief comments outside the Palais Coburg Hotel in Vienna Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, “I hope that we are finally entering the final phase of this marathon negotiation.”
A number of journalists covering the nuclear talks in the Austrian capital described his tone as uncharacteristically positive, saying that raises hopes that a final deal is finally within reach.
Unlike what has been a routine over the past two years, Fabius did not talk about the differences of opinion or the tough job that lay ahead; he tried not to be a messenger of ominous news.
His comments could either be indicative of real progress in the talks or be an effort on his part to burnish his poor track record in the negotiations.
Either way, it’s still unclear whether his attempt will produce the intended result, because history suggests Fabius’ theatrics before cameras are far from reliable.
