President Ahmadinejad Stresses Expansion Of Ties With Venezuela

Tehran, April 20, IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad underlined Iranˈs will to boost bilateral relations with Latin American countries, especially Venezuela. ˈRelations with Venezuela is strategic and it symbolizes Iranˈs ties with Latin America,ˈ Ahmadinejad said prior to his departure for Caracas on Thursday. He noted that fortunately Iran has good relations with all Latin American countries. President Ahmadinejad left Tehran for Caracas Thursday night in a bid to attend the inauguration ceremony of Nicholas Maduro as Venezuelaˈs new president. President Ahmadinejad is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, head of secretariat of the non-aligned movement (NAM) Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaee, senior presidential aide Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, Vice-President for Executive Affairs Hamid Baqaee, Government Spokesman Gholamhossein Elham, Vice-President for Implementation of Constitution Hamid Reza Mir Tajeddini and Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency Majid Omidi Shahraki. Former Venezuelan Hugo Chavez died about one month ago due to cancer and Nicholas Maduro was elected as the Latin American countryˈs new president. Maduro was vice-president during tenure of Chavez and after the latterˈs death he sweated in as Venezuelaˈs interim president./end