Iran President Raisi Starts Latin America Tour With Stop In Venezuela
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Layla Nour
- . June 13, 2023
- . Update: June 13, 2023 9:52 pm
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati, commonly known as Ebrahim Raisi, started his tour of Latin America on Monday.
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On his first visit to Latin America, Raisi met Nicolás Maduro Moros, the President of the Republic of Venezuela. The Iranian President said that the two countries have “a common enemy,” indirectly hinting at the United States.
On Monday, the two leaders also signed a series of cooperation agreements. They also signed a memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation in petrochemicals. The Iranian president also said that the two countries want to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion, up from $3 billion.
Indirectly referring to the US, Raisi said, “They do not want the two countries, Iran and Venezuela, to be independent. We have decided to increase cooperation.”
Last year, the two countries signed a 20-year cooperation plan in Tehran, the capital of Iran. They also agreed to expand their partnership on oil, defence, and other issues. Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Venezuela came a year after Nicolás Maduro visited him in Iran.
According to Venezuelan state television, the two countries, both under U.S. sanctions, would facilitate cooperation in oil exploration and development. Reportedly, Venezuelan state petrochemical firm Pequiven and its Iranian counterpart signed the accord.
The Venezuelan president lauded Raisi’s visit to the country and the bilateral relationship between the two nations. He said, “We are on the right side of history, and together we will be invincible.”
In recent years, the two countries have increased their relations. Iran also helped alleviate part of the fuel shortage in Venezuela, a country on the northern coast of South America.
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Raisi will also visit Cuba and Nicaragua. The Iranian President has said that he received the invitation from “friendly countries”, referring to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.
