Toady, just over five years after the Berlin Mykonos trial verdicts and the convictions against the leaders of the Islamic Republic the European Union is once again debating its trade policies with the Islamic Republic. Once again under the flawed 'critical dialogue and engagement' policies, plans for economic and trade deals that will only benefit the EU nations is being debated. Again, under the guise of support for Khatami and the pretend democracy practised by the clerical regime the desire of the Iranian nation is being overlooked.

Yet again the consequence of such deals will line the pocket of the selected few and lead to nothing more than oppression, poverty, unemployment, moral and financial corruption for the Iranian people causing many more of the Iranian youth to flee the country.

The Association of Iranian Researchers would like to repeat its warning that despite serving the short term national interest of the EU countries, trade and economic accords with the Islamic regime is too narrow a solution for a globalized world and solutions must be found which would do justice to the complexity of the interests involved in particular the interest of the Iranian nation. Solutions must be found to last over time and respect the will of the Iranian nation.

Hossein Ladjevardi