Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit. Chavez came to Iran after visiting allies in Russia and Belarus to discuss the possible purchase of submarines and other defense equipment.

Chavez has called Ahmadinejad his �ideological brother�, and stands behind Iran�s right to nuclear power, despite Western claims that the nation�s program is being used to create a nuclear bomb. “Co-operation of independent countries such as Iran and Venezuela has an effective role in defeating the policies of imperialism and saving nations,” said Chavez, who was accompanied by his foreign, communication, energy, industry, and economy ministers. The Venezuelan president had one of his first meetings was with Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hoseyn Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.

In addition to their joint opposition to US-imperialism, Iran and Venezuela share similar ties in the energy sector. Iran is OPEC’s second largest producer of crude oil, and Venezuela is also a key member. Both countries have decided to cooperate with each other.

Chavez and Ahmadinejad are expected to sign a number of agreements including the construction of 7,000 houses, a petrochemical plant and a vocational training centre in Venezuela.

They are set to inaugurate construction of a joint petrochemical plant on Monday in the southern Iranian city of Asaluyeh, which will produce a million tons of methanol every year, Irna said.

A similar plant would be built in Venezuela to give Iran better access to Latin American and Brazilian markets and provide easier reach to India and Pakistan for Venezuela.

Chavez�s visit comes at a time when Iran is being threatened by UN Security Council sanctions for refusing to freeze uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel. America, which cut ties with Iran in 1979 after it lost control of the country, is spearheading the international anti-Iranian campaign. US officials, and even Democratic candidates like Obama and Clinton, will not rule out nuking Iran to stop the enrichment.

Ahmadinejad toured Latin America in January to gain support from other nations in the region who also oppose US imperialism. Several Latin American countries, including Venezuela, are members of the Non-Aligned Movement that emphatically back Iran’s right to nuclear energy. Venezuela was alone in opposing a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2005 that found Iran in violation of nuclear safeguards. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, “Latin America offers good opportunities for co-operation. Common political views and positions help us to have better co-operation.”

source