Official: Iran, Latin America Play Effective Role in Regulating New World Order

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and Latin American Affairs Ali Asqar Khaji underlined Tehran’s resolve to further boost ties and cooperation with Latin America, and said that the commonalities of Iran and Latin America have provided the two sides with an opportunity to contribute a major role to the regulation of a new world order.

Addressing a conference on Latin America here in Tehran on Monday, Khaji said the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided Latin America with honest developmental aids, technical and engineering services and outstanding technological achievements, such as nanotechnology, and added that these aids have been admired by the leaders of the regional countries and portrayed new horizons in drafting a different paradigm for the nations’ relations.

He further noted Iran and Latin America’s common stances on different issues, including multilateralism, peace-seeking efforts, quest for international justice, rejection of hegemony, native models of development and progress, emphasis on the right of development, revision of the unconstructive policies and status of the world financial and monetary bodies, and promotion of the level of relations within the framework of South-South cooperation as well as their complementary economic capacities have paved the ground for the two sides to play an effective and constructive role in the regulation of a new world order.

“We believe that based on these commonalities, an effective and constructive role can be played in compiling a new world order,” the official added.

Also, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had also in January underlined the common positions of Iran and Latin American states on different international issues.

Addressing a press conference upon his arrival from a tour of four Latin American countries, Ahmadinejad stated that the Islamic Republic is on the same front with most Latin American countries in the campaign against hegemony and injustice.

He lauded close ties between the two sides, and noted, “Iran’s relations with Latin America are very good, expansive, and strategic, and the country’s interactions and transactions with all the countries of this region are increasing and deepening.”

The tour of Latin America took the Iranian president to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador, where all the countries’ leaders reiterated their support for Iran’s right to access peaceful nuclear technology and defended Tehran against the threats and pressures exerted by US-led West on Iran.

Iran has done a raft of deals in Latin America nations ranging from housing construction agreements with Venezuela to financing for Cuba’s purchases of Iranian-made train cars.

Since taking office in 2005, President Ahmadinejad has expanded Iran’s cooperation with many Latin American states, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Brazil.

The strong and rapidly growing ties between Iran and Latin America 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.