Iran - Latin American relations

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran for Venezuela on Sunday morning to start a four-nation Latin America tour, which will also take him to Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters prior to his departure to Venezuela, Ahmadinejad said that the existing relations between Iran and Latin American states are cordial and growing.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Saturday that during the visits, the Iranian president is scheduled to exchange views and discuss issues of mutual interests, including those concerning the Middle East and North Africa, the European economic crisis and the U.S. ties, with leaders of the four states.

The Iranian president has said that the Islamic republic gives high priority to expanding its relations with Latin American nations.

On the other hand, the United States has warned Latin American countries of promoting their ties with Iran which it says is pursuing nuclear weapons under international pressure, a claim Tehran has rejected.

Iran has expanded ties with some Latin American states, including Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil, since Ahmadinejad took office in 2005.

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