Iranian Industry, Mine, and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh and visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jose Jua Milano in a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday called for bolstering economic and industrial cooperation.

During the meeting in the Iranian capital, the Iranian industry, mine and trade minister expressed the hope that the two countries would sign new agreements in their upcoming joint economic commission meetings, reminding that "Iran and Venezuela have established their industrial and trade cooperation many years ago".

The Venezuelan foreign minister, for his part, underlined the need for the further expansion of economic cooperation, reminding that "the Iranian and Venezuelan presidents have both laid emphasis on reinvigoration of bilateral ties".

The two ministers discussed joint venture projects in areas of tractor and automobile manufacturing as well as oil, gas, petrochemical products, ship building and power plants construction.

Iran and Venezuela will hold the next meeting of their joint economic cooperation commission in Caracas in September.

The top Venezuelan diplomat arrived in Tehran on Monday to attend a one-day ministerial emergency meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Gaza which was held in the Iranian capital yesterday.

Earlier today, the Venezuelan foreign minister in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran voiced his country's resolve to further boost mutual cooperation in various spheres.

During the meeting in the Iranian capital today, the Iranian and Venezuelan foreign ministers explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral ties in different areas.

Zarif and Milano pointed to the status quo in the Tehran-Caracas bilateral ties, and underlined the need for holding a meeting of the Joint Iran-Venezuela Economic Commission in the near future.

The Iranian foreign minister thanked the Venezuelan government for its revolutionary stances against the massacre of the defenseless Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Venezuelan foreign minister, for his part, thanked Iran for hosting the ministerial meeting of the NAM's Palestine Committee on Gaza.

Iran has in recent years expanded friendly ties with Latin America, specially in economic, trade and industrial fields.

Iran's strong and rapidly growing ties with Latin America, specially with Venezuela, have raised eyebrows in the US and its western allies since Tehran and Latin nations have forged an alliance against the imperialist and colonialist powers and are striving hard to reinvigorate their relations with the other independent countries which pursue a line of policy independent from the US.
 

News ID 186987