Chavez backs Iran's nuclear goals

[XXPANTHAXX]

Friday 11 March 2005 11:47 PM GMT

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has defended Iran's right to
pursue a nuclear energy programme, and vowed to back the
country in its spat with the United States.

After a meeting with Iranian President Muhammad Khatami on
Friday, Chavez said both countries rejected the imperialist
policies of the United States.

"Iran has every right, like many other countries have done,
to develop its atomic energy and continue its research in
this field," Chavez said.

The Iranian president is on a visit to Venezuela to
strengthen ties between the two countries.

Khatami said both Iran and Venezuela will stand firm against
any aggression and lamented "the injustice of the great
powers that try to control the world".

"What must be condemned are calls for violence, whether from
terrorists or from aggressors with yearnings for domination,"
Khatami said.

Solidarity

"Iran and Venezuela, these two brothers, are and will be
together forever," Chavez said. "Iran, confronted by the
United States, has our solidarity."

"Like you, we are willing to be free from imperialism," he
added.

Chavez presented Khatami with the Order of the Liberator –
the country's highest decoration – calling it a symbol of
their strong ties.

The meeting came five days before an Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries summit in Iran where members
are to discuss stabilizing the oil market amid record-high
prices.

Government officials also signed 20 agreements to cooperate
in areas including petrochemical projects, economic
development, agriculture and the construction of thousands of
homes in Venezuela. They also approved millions of dollars in
credit lines to boost trade.

Khatami will conclude his three-day visit on Saturday with a
trip to open a joint-venture tractor assembly plant that is
to bear his name.