Jahangiri, Venezuelaˈs Maduro Discuss Bilateral Ties

Santa Cruz, June 16, IRNA – Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri in a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Santa Cruz on Sunday discussed bilateral ties and mutual cooperation. During the meeting on the sidelines of the Group-77 plus China Summit in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, the two sides underlined the need for the further expansion of relations. In March 2014, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Xoan Noya Alarcon exchanged views over the latest developments in the Latin American country, and discussed new avenues for bolstering Tehran-Caracas relations. The two officials, in a meeting in Tehran, reviewed issues of mutual interest as well as the most significant Latin American issues. Noya Alarcon appreciated Iranˈs stands with regard to recent unrests in Venezuela and described a visit to Caracas by his Iranian counterpart as successful. The two sides also talked about an upcoming Iran-Venezuela Joint Economic Commission session due to be held within the next two months. Iran has in recent years expanded friendly ties with Latin America, specially in economic, trade and industrial fields. Iranˈs strong and rapidly growing ties with Latin America, specially with Venezuela, have raised eyebrows in the US and its western allies since Tehran and Latin nations have forged an alliance against the imperialist and colonialist powers and are striving hard to reinvigorate their relations with the other independent countries which pursue a line of policy independent from the US./end