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Cuba, Iran's Ahmadinejad
stress closer ties
Aljazeera. Infosearch:
José Cadenas. Research Dept. La
Nueva Cuba, August 23, 2005.
Jose Ramon Rodriguez, the outgoing Cuban
Ambassador to Tehran met Saturday with the
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
According to Presidential Office Media
Department, Ahmadinejad described the Tehran,
Havana ties as excellent, brotherly and
growing.
Despite the geographical distance between
the two countries, their common views and
cooperation regarding international issues
helped forging closer ties.
"Our relations with Cuba are strategic
and deep-seated and our people follow the
news on Cuba with great interest,"
Ahmadinejad said in the meeting.
Rodriguez stated that Cuba is interested
in expanding and strengthening relations
with the Islamic republic in all areas.
Last January, Iran and Cuba signed a comprehensive
document for bolstering bilateral cooperation
in Havana.
The document stipulates that Iran and Cuba
expand cooperation in various fields; including
commerce, banking, agriculture, and health.
The two states will also expand cooperation
in the areas of sugar industry, fishery,
biotechnology, sports, transportation, development
projects, investment, tourism, information
technology and communications and water
resources, and provide more facilities in
banking relations; preparing for promoting
economic and trade ties between them.
Joint stamp
The Iranian ambassador to Cuba announced
earlier this month that Tehran and the Republic
of Cuba will issue a joint stamp in order
to foster bilateral cooperation.
"In a meeting with Alberto Perez Romero,
the director of Cuba's State Post Company,
Iran and Cuba reached an agreement on the
issue in order to promote cultural and postal
cooperation between the two countries",
Ahmad Edrisian said.
"The project was welcomed by the Cuban
official, and he also called for the establishment
of trilateral ties between Iran, Cuba, and
Venezuela in light of the extensive postal
cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela",
he added.
Ahmadinejad criticizes EU
The newly elected Iranian president on Sunday
criticized nations that have economic ties
with the Islamic republic but oppose the
country's 'peaceful' nuclear program, apparently
referring to the European Union countries
pressuring Iran to suspend its nuclear program.
Although the Iranian president didn't mention
the names of trade partners objecting the
country's right to pursue nuclear technology,
he was apparently referring Britain, France
and Germany, Iran's main European trading
partners who have been leading U.S.-backed
EU efforts to persuade Iran to halt all
activities related to uranium enrichment.
"They expect to intervene in Iran's
domestic affairs and make Iran silent about
important regional and international issues,"
the Iranian president said in a speech broadcast
live on state-run TV.
"They want Iran to follow international
order and norm while they accuse Iran in
international bodies."
"What kind of balance is this? This
is cruel and unfair. Our nation will not
tolerate such behavior on the international
scene," he added.
Foreign states should be "thankful"
Tehran imports their products, the President
said, but instead they "apply hostile
policies against the Islamic republic and
do not recognize our legitimate rights,"
he added, referring to Iran's rights under
the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Ahmadinejad stated that his government
seeks friendly ties with the international
community, stressing that economic links
are inseparable from political relations,
including support for Iran's nuclear program.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his comments before
lawmakers begin a debate expected to last
until the end of the week on the president's
cabinet list.
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