The Iranian president left Tehran for Caracas on Monday morning for a three-leg tour of Latin America that will take him to Nicaragua and Cuba after Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters at the airport in Tehran, Raisi said the majority of the Latin American states want to live independently, share the spirit of pursuing freedom, independence and resistance against the hegemony system, and have amicable relations with Iran.
Hailing the strategic ties between Iran and the independent states in Latin America, Raisi said, “The common stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba is resistance against the hegemony system and countering unilateralism.”
He further highlighted the close political, economic and trade ties between Iran and Venezuela, saying the two states have promoted cooperation in the energy industry and other sectors in the past two years.
Pointing to the three Latin American countries’ willingness to use Iran’s engineering and technical capabilities, Raisi said there exist ample opportunities for the expansion of relations with them.
He expressed hope that the consultations and agreements in his tour would mark a milestone and effective step in the enhancement of relations with those three states.