Ahmadinejad holds talks with Bolivian president in Moscow

TEHRAN,July 2(MNA) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the expansion of relations with Bolivia, saying that strengthening ties with Latin American countries is Iran’s unchangeable policy. He made the remarks during a meeting with Bolivian President Evo Morales on his visit to Moscow on Monday, where he was scheduled to attend the 2nd Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) on July 1 and 2. “The relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with independent countries are very close and friendly and cannot be easily damaged,” Ahmadinejad said, adding that the country’s next administration will also make efforts to expand such relations. In a nationwide election on June 14, the Iranian people elected the country’s new President Hassan Rohani who will officially take office in August. Elsewhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad commented on the Syrian crisis criticizing the West for its efforts to help prolong the conflict, which he said has spilled over into other regional countries. And the Bolivian president hailed Iran’s support for his country, saying that independent countries like Bolivia and Iran should stand by each other to counter the pressure exerted by the United States and other arrogant countries. Ahmadinejad, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Economy Minister Shamseddin Hosseini, was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on his arrival in Moscow on Monday. He also delivered a speech at the gas forum on Monday, in which he put forward four proposals on issues related to energy. He was also scheduled to attend a memorial ceremony to honor late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez at the Venezuelan Embassy in Moscow, hold a meeting with Iranian expatriates in Russia, and do an interview with a Russian TV channel during his two-day visit.