Iran General NewsAnti-US allies Venezuela and Iran seek OPEC oil cut

Anti-US allies Venezuela and Iran seek OPEC oil cut

-

Reuters: Venezuela and Iran strengthened their growing ties on Saturday with a stream of anti-U.S. statements, various commercial agreements and a pledge to push for a cut in world oil supplies to counter plunging prices. By Christian Oliver

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela and Iran strengthened their growing ties on Saturday with a stream of anti-U.S. statements, various commercial agreements and a pledge to push for a cut in world oil supplies to counter plunging prices.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blamed the United States, the archfoe of both Caracas and Tehran, for undermining the significance of the OPEC cartel to bring down oil prices, which have tumbled 15 percent this year during a mild U.S. winter.

“We agreed this afternoon to increase our coordinated efforts in OPEC and with the major oil producers outside OPEC to safeguard the price of our main product,” Chavez said at a meeting in Caracas with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“Today we know there is too much oil in the market and we will support decisions taken to cut production and safeguard the oil price.”

Iran is the world’s fourth-biggest oil exporter, while Venezuela, according to U.S. data, has slumped to eighth place from fifth. Still, both countries are significant OPEC voices.

Ahmadinejad and Chavez, two ex-soldiers who came to power on populist platforms, have developed a close personal relationship, often hailing each other as “brother.”

Chavez has backed Ahmadinejad in his battle with the international community over Iran’s nuclear program, which last month led to limited U.N. sanctions.

While the United States accuses Iran of seeking to build atomic weapons, Chavez has insisted that Tehran wants to use nuclear technology only to generate electricity. Chavez and Ahmadinejad did not address the issue on Saturday.

REVOLUTIONARY READING

Chavez presented Ahmadinejad with a Persian translation of a book on Simon Bolivar, the 19th-century Venezuelan founding father. In turn, Chavez received a book on the father of the 1979 Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

“Our two revolutions are at heart the same,” Chavez said, comparing Iran’s overthrow of the Shah with his self-styled socialist movement, which was boosted this week by a slew of nationalizations.

Ahmadinejad also focused on injustice and poverty in the developing world, laying the blame at Washington’s door.

“All this is the work of the superpower,” he said.

To emphasize their socialist credentials, the leaders said they had agreed to establish a $2 billion fund for projects they are involved in across the developing world.

Chavez quoted Bolivian President Evo Morales as saying “Death to American imperialism.” When that was translated into Persian as the “Death to America” catchphrase of Iranian demonstrations, the Iranian delegation broke into applause.

On a more commercial level, Iranian oil company Petropars signed deals to take on more work in certification, exploration and oilfield development in Venezuela.

Officials also signed contracts to expand cooperation in agriculture, construction and tourism.

In a media deal, the two nations drew up a partnership agreement between their state news agencies, Venezuela’s ABN and Iran’s IRNA.

Chavez has come under intense criticism over his treatment of the media since last month when he refused to renew the license of an opposition television channel.

Iran has a highly controlled state media that censors any criticism of senior officials. Newspapers and Web sites that step out of line are shut down.

Latest news

 Statistics show that New Year accidents’ deaths in Iran reached 585

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Information and Traffic Control Center of the Iranian regime’s police, announced that the...

Land Subsidence in Critical Conditions in Isfahan

Mehdi Toghyani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed to the occurrence of land subsidence in various...

Iran’s Actual Inflation Rate Higher Than Official Stats

The state-run Donya-e-eqtesad newspaper, in a report analyzing the "general sentiment" regarding inflation in 2023, has stated that households...

Iranian Workers’ Monthly $136 Wages Can’t Cover $500 Expenses

The lives of a significant portion of the Iranian population are marked by uncertainty, largely because the Iranian economy...

Iranian Nurses Earn Twice Their Wages in Ride-Hailing Services

Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses...

Iran: Unprecedented Record of 152 Million Liters of Gasoline Consumption Per Day

On March 19, Iran set a new historical record in gasoline consumption with 152 million liters consumed in one...

Must read

In Iran, sanctions aim at shipping lifeline

Washington Post: On June 30, the Danish shipping giant...

President says Iran has not slowed atomic work

Reuters: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday denied reports that...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you