Iran keen to expand ties with Latin America: Ahmadinejad

October 11, 2010 - 0:0

TEHRAN -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran sees no limit for further cooperation with Latin American countries.

Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Tehran on Sunday.
The two countries enjoy great potential which must be utilized to strengthen bilateral relations, Ahmadinejad stated.
Rodriguez, for his part, expressed his country’s support for the Islamic Republic in the international arena.
World in need of new order
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also held talks with his Cuban counterpart on Saturday.
During the meeting, Mottaki emphasized the need to promote a new world order through closer cooperation with the member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
The U.S. and some Western states are seeking to deprive countries of their rights including their access to advanced technologies such as nuclear energy, Mottaki said, adding all must stand against such plots.
The chief diplomat said illegal sanctions on Iran and Cuba would only make the two nations self-sufficient.
The Cuban foreign minister, for his part, said his country is against any sanctions against Iran and expressed Havana’s support for the Tehran Declaration.
On May 17, the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey, and Brazil signed a declaration, according to which Iran would ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
Rodriguez added that the two countries share common goals and concerns in the international arena and welcomed further cooperation with Iran, particularly in the political sphere.
He also announced that Cuban President Raul Castro will pay a visit to Iran in the near future.