Courtesy photo
Diplomats are diplomats for a very good reason: They don’t say very much. And that certainly was the case Thursday when French Ambassador Pierre Vimont took part in “The Q&A Café” at Nathans restaurant.
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Try though she might, host Carol Joynt couldn’t get Vimont to open up about, well, anything even remotely juicy.
To wit:
» On whom Vimont supported in a U.S. presidential election between Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. “I’m not going to say.”
» On which 2008 candidate would be better for France: “I’m not sure we’ve found the answer for that.”
» On his opinion of articles written about him: “I read them and move on.”
» On whether he lives alone (there has been much speculation about Vimont’s love life): “Yes, and I try to be as discreet as possible.”
» On French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent whirlwind romance (and marriage) to supermodel/songwriter Carla Bruni: “Private lives are private lives.”
» On whether Sarkozy and Bruni might honeymoon in the United States: “I don’t know. And if I knew, I wouldn’t say.”
For Vimont, his tight-lipped approach partially explains his success as a career diplomat. “I’m very cautious. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
Even Joynt herself had to admire his allusive ways, concluding the interview with: “Well, you shrug real well.”
