Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was decisive to develop Iran’s ties with Latin American states during his visits to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
Speaking to reporters prior to his departure from Tehran Friday night, Ahmadinejad viewed his country’s relations with Venezuela as desirable, and reminded the two countries’ growing trend of joint ventures.
He also mentioned that 100 of the 120 memoranda of understanding endorsed between the two countries have been signed during the last two visits of the two countries’ officials.
Describing Iran and Venezuela as two significant and strategic allies in the world arena, the president reminded the two countries’ important oil and industrial joint projects, which he said he would pursue during his current visit to the Latin American state.
He also mentioned that the two states enjoy many proper grounds for boosting cooperation and expanding relations.
Regarding his visit to Nicaragua, the Iranian president pointed to the election of Daniel Ortega as president of that country at the time of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and said that Ortega and the Islamic Republic of Iran shared many common views about the world affairs and developments.
“Now that after several years, Mr. Ortega has been reelected as Nicaragua’s president, I believe that it would be a very good opportunity to meet him during this visit to discuss consolidation and expansion of ties between the two countries,” he pointed out.
Elsewhere, Ahmadinejad described Ecuador as an important Latin state, whose president shares many identical views with Iran, saying that he would discuss also the development and deepening of relations between the two countries during his visit to Ecuador.
He also stressed that during his bilateral and multilateral meetings with the different officials in the said countries, he would strive to increase joint ventures and deepen and develop mutual relations.
Meantime, Ahmadinejad reminded that he would attend multilateral meetings with a certain number of Presidents on the sidelines of his visits to the aforesaid Latino states, and further expressed the hope that his trip would pave the ground for the boosting of cooperation and investment between Iran and either one of the three nations, namely Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
To end his remarks, the president said, “To put it in a nutshell, my visits to the said three states are aimed at pursuing the agreements already concluded between Iran and these countries as well as approval and endorsement of new agreements.”
The Iranian president will leave Managua for Kyoto Sunday afternoon (local time) to attend the ceremonies marking oath of office by the Ecuadorian president-elect.
The ceremony is arranged for Monday when Ahmadinejad and a large number of other heads of state will witness Raphael Kurea’s swearing in.
In addition to his talks with the Ecuadorian president, Ahmadinejad is also scheduled to meet with some other presidents, including his Bolivian counterpart, Morales.
