Caracas, Venezuela (dailynewyorknews) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has pledged closer cooperation on Monday and vowed to fight against poverty and imperialism.
The two leaders signed a series of agreements in the fields of industry, science, technology and politics, the state news agency VNA. Sitting side by side before a room full of journalists, presented a united front to oppose the United States.
“It is clear that we are afraid of our development,” said Ahmadinejad.
Earlier in a welcome ceremony outside the presidential palace in Venezuela, Iranian President Hugo Chavez called his “dear brother” and declared that his country had peaceful intentions.
“Our weapon is logic. Our weapon is the culture. Our weapons are human values,” he said.
Chavez is committed to working with his Iranian counterpart to stop “imperial madness” of the United States, which he described as a “threat to the world.”
Venezuelan President mocked Washington’s concerns about his country’s relations with Iran, joked that the U.S. media reports that sound as if he and Ahmadinejad would be the launch of missiles and bombs in the U.S. capital.
“We are not warmongers,” said Chavez, and Iranian President shook his head. “Iran has not invaded anyone.”
It is no coincidence that Venezuela is the first stop of Ahmadinejad in a four-nation tour of Latin America this week. Despite their cultural differences, Venezuela and Iran have found significant common ground: both are among the major oil exporters in the world and its leaders were strong allies united by a fierce opposition to what they describe as U.S. imperialism.
The Iranian leader arrived in Caracas on Sunday and moves with his ministers for Foreign Affairs, Energy and the economy, according to IRNA, the official news agency of Iran.
Over the years, both countries have signed over 270 agreements, including trade agreements and construction projects, factories, automobiles and tractors, energy programs and initiatives bank.
Chavez has also helped the Islamic Republic to forge relationships with other members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, Chavez founded eight regional bloc.
Even before his arrival, Mr. Ahmadinejad has plans for a tour of Latin America has attracted worldwide attention, tensions grow between several western powers and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Officials of the United States and other Western nations have increased the sanctions against Iran several times since a November report by the International Agency of Nuclear Energy, said the Iranian government was to develop the technology to build a nuclear weapon. Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama announced sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran.
Monday’s nuclear watchdog agency of the United Nations confirmed that uranium enrichment began at a nuclear facility in northern Iran.
Iran says it is a medical purpose behind the nuclear program.
However, in Washington, spokesman for the Department of State U. S., Victoria Nuland, said the confirmation that Iran was enriching uranium to “a level that is inappropriate” is “clearly a problem.”
Not everyone in Venezuela is looking forward to the visit of Ahmadinejad.
Diego Arria, an opposition politician, described the trip as a “provocation” in the United States and an embarrassment for Venezuela.
“It happens at the worst time -. In a time when Ahmadinejad is studied by the international community with a great fear … is that the danger to the United States closer to home, “he said.
The Iranian president has to go to Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador this week as part of his five-day tour.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/09/world/americas/venezuela-ahmadinejad/index.html?hpt=ila_c1
