France’s unconstructive role threw wrench in Vienna talks: Source

An informed source has shed light on France’s attempts to throw a wrench in the latest round of talks in Vienna between Iran and the P4+1 countries, saying Paris’ two-day absence in the negotiations helped the negotiating sides make progress in preparing drafts.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source told IRNA news agency that the French negotiating team did not play a “constructive” role in the negotiations and that it significantly slowed down the pace talks by throwing a wrench in the process.

“The presence of French representatives at the G7 foreign ministers summit in Liverpool and their two-day absence at a time when delegations in Vienna were working on the drafts in the previous round of negotiations led to significant progress. However, after their return from Liverpool, a disruptive trend started again,” he said.

“The drafts had reached an acceptable level [of agreement], but following the return of the French envoys from the Liverpool conference and their expression of opposition to the drafts, the course of the talks was disrupted. This gave rise to certain arguments in the internal meeting of the P4+1 countries.”

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized “non-constructive” stances taken by some European signatories to the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), during the previous round of the Vienna talks.

SS