While only a few days have passed since the agreement between Iran, France, Germany, and Britain over the issue of Tehran’s signing the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), there are reports that the European big three are applying a double standard and that they are voicing ambiguous positions on the issue.

The Tehran agreement was in fact a serious test for both Iran and European states. If these states do not want Iran to renege on its commitments, they should not act as if they are going to renege on their commitments.

Now Europe should prove to the world that it has achieved political maturity and is adopting a sensible policy toward unilateralism and coercion. EU states should also live up to the pledges that they made to the Islamic Republic during the French, German, and British foreign ministers’ recent visit to Tehran.

Europe has already realized that aligning itself with the unilateralist United States offers few advantages and sometimes causes heavy losses.

However, it is now time for Europe to show its sincerity and independence in dealing with the Islamic Republic. Europe should make a move to demonstrate that it intends to abide by the commitments it made in the Tehran Declaration, just as it expects Iran to do so. It is not at all acceptable that a party to the declaration delays implementing its commitments until another has done so. This is not a fair practice.

Europe can guarantee major advantages for itself by implementing what it agreed to during the meetings of the French, German, and British foreign ministers with Iranian officials. The most notable of such advantages for Europe -- that could be far greater than merely the economic gains from participating in Iran’s industrial projects – would be gaining the trust of the international community, particularly the Muslim world.

Europe must know that living up to the commitments it made during the lightning visit by ministers of its three major states would present an excellent image to the international community and would secure numerous economic gains for the continent in light of the expansion of its relations with the Muslim world.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin told the BBC that he had visited Tehran to fight unilateralism in international relations. Therefore, it is not becoming for Europe to impose unilateral conditions in its agreements with Tehran or even to delay them.

Europe must realize that just as Iran accepted certain commitments during the Tehran visit of the ministers in order to manifest its goodwill, it should also follow diplomatic protocol by implementing its commitments.

If Europe really rejects U.S. unilateralism in international relations, it must prove that it is itself not pursuing a unilateralist policy in its bilateral agreements.