Chavez Hails Iran’s Ties with Americas

TEHRAN (FNA) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez applauds Tehran for its broad-scale cooperation with the Latin American states.“The Iranian government has made serious efforts to promote trade, economic and industrial relations with Latin America, especially Venezuela”, Chavez said at the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of America (ALBA) summit in Caracas on Saturday, Press TV reported.

At a conference also attended by Ahmad Sobhani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister in Euro-American affairs, President Chavez pointed to Iran’s vast cooperation with Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

Initiated by Venezuela and Cuba, ALBA was founded in 2001, with the aim to gain political, economic and business independence from the world influential countries. In fact, ALBA was a move to counter the US-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

The economic association is hoping to shore up more support from the Caribbean countries.

Iran, a close ally to Latin American states, has applied for an observer status at ALBA.