Iranian President Eyes Stronger Ties With Latin America
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President Ahmadinejad of Iran, facing U.S. pressure over his nuclear ambitions, traveled to Latin America yesterday to strengthen ties with two of President Bush’s harshest critics in the region.
Mr. Ahmadinejad signed accords valued as much as $1 billion over five years with President Morales of Bolivia to promote investments in energy, mining, and rural development before departing for Venezuela, where he will discuss petrochemical projects with President Chavez, Bolivian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Consuelo Ponce said.
“Establishing a presence at the U.S.’s backdoor is convenient for Iran,” said Christopher Garman, Latin America director at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting company in New York. “I see this more as politically driven than as something that will generate substantive economic ties.”
With the U.S. pushing for stronger sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program, Mr. Ahmadinejad has improved relations with Latin American nations critical of the U.S., visiting Venezuela and Nicaragua and sitting on the stage at the inauguration of President Correa of Ecuador in January.
Mr. Ahmadinejad said he felt “at home and among my brothers” in Bolivia and that his visit was the start of broader relations between the two countries, Iran’s official news agency reported.