Iran can act as a link to join Middle East to Latin America

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif returned home on Monday ending his six-nation tour to Latin America which had an important achievement that is Iran can act as a link between the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America.

News ID: ۷۶۹۰۷۰

29 August 2016

During his stay in the six countries of Latin America, Zarif was warmly welcomed by the Cuban, Nicaraguan, Ecuadorian, Chilean, Bolivian and Venezuelan officials, reports IRNA.

Also, during his talks with those nations' officials, different economic and political agreements were signed.

As Iran and the countries in the Latin American region are members in the United Nations (UN), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 (G77) and some other important international bodies, there are considerable commonalities between the two sides to develop cooperation.

The Iranian foreign minister started his Latin American tour from Cuba on Sunday night (Aug 21).

In Havana, Zarif and his 120-member delegation held talks with top officials in that country and reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in the areas of energy, health and banking.

Also in Nicaragua which was the second leg of Zarif's Latin American visits, the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos Lopez said his country had been waiting for the trip of the Iranian delegation to this country, but the sanctions were the cause of that delay.

Lopez described the meeting with his Iranian counterpart as a good planned one that can be effective in getting Iran and Nicaragua as well as other regional countries closer to each other.

Later in Ecuador, Zarif discussed with his counterpart in that country Guillaume Long about the latest situation of bilateral relations in the economic fields.

Long, during the discussion said his country is interested in using Iran as a trade gate to enter the Middle East and Central Asia regions.

He also said Ecuador will open a trade office in Tehran in the near future.

Then in Chile, Foreign Minister of that country Heraldo Muñoz Valenzuela commented on the travel of his Iranian counterpart to Santiago saying his country has entered into new phase of cooperation with Iran.

At his fifth leg of the Latin American tour, Zarif visited Bolivia.

The Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca called on the Iranian companies to have active presence in the areas of nutrition and environment in that country.

He said Bolivia and Iran should get closer to each other to discover both sides' capacities for further cooperation.

At the last leg of his tour, Iran's Zarif flew to Venezuela.

In Iran-Venezuela economic forum which was held in Caracas, Zarif said Iran continues its good ties with Venezuela which is left from the former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who died in March, 2013. Chavez was for the revolutionary and independent policies.

In addition, different world media and news agencies and channels have given reports on the visit of Iranian foreign minister to the six nations in the Latin American region.

Zarif is now home after spending eight days in those nations.