Despite the eagerness expressed by several European countries to establish commercial and trade relations with the Islamic Republic, the U.S. Administration and the Zionist regime are using their influence on certain members of the European Union (EU) in order to foil the realistic and rational initiatives of other EU members in opening such relations.

EU foreign ministers failed to agree on May 13 on opening talks with Iran on a trade and cooperation agreement. Finalizing a mandate for the talks was one of the items on the agenda of their monthly meeting. Sources said the 15 member states were split over whether the trade agreement should include sections that would also establish a political relationship between the EU and Iran. With no agreement reached at the previous monthly session, the EU members are expected to review the issue at their next foreign ministers' meeting on June 10.

Although some European countries like Greece, Italy, Belgium and Spain have prepared a suitable ground for reaching an agreement on trade cooperation with Iran, certain other EU members like Britain are creating obstacles in this regard. The first group is in favor of talks with Tehran limited only to trade and cooperation issues, but the second group prefers an EU-Iran agreement to be extended to include political issues as well.

It is clear that if the second group gets the upper hand at the upcoming EU foreign ministers' meeting, the signing of a cooperation agreement between Iran and the EU will not be possible before the lapse of another four or five years.

The inability of the EU to reach an agreement on trade cooperation with Iran seems to be a direct result of the U.S. and Zionist lobby's influence over the union. In other words, considering that this cooperation is not tolerable for the Zionist circles and the United States, they have been using their clout with certain EU members in the recent past to create hurdles in the way of this agreement.

The EU, for its part, by delaying the decision on talks with Tehran, has shown its vulnerability to U.S. and Zionist pressure and also revealed that the discord and lack of congruity among union members is a very serious issue.

Undoubtedly, trade cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the European Union will serve the interests of both parties. Therefore, the union will not be able to promote its interests unless it adopts an independent policy and resists U.S. and Israeli pressure.

If on June 10, the European countries stop short of making a clear-cut decision on their trade cooperation with the Islamic Republic, Tehran will have to give serious consideration to its relations with the European Union, since focusing on cooperation with a union which lacks congruity and harmony among its members will be neither wise nor of great interest to this country.