Iranian Supreme Leader receives Venezuelan president Tehran

Source: IRNA, 1-7-2007
Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday evening met and conferred with the visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The Supreme Leader said in the meeting that independent states should increase their own strength through unity and cooperation and whole-heartedly defend their common identity and the interests of their nations.
Referring to the US failures to harm Iran and Venezuela, Ayatollah Khamenei added that since both countries enjoy popular and independent governments, they are naturally willing to cooperate with each other and this trend should be further strengthened.
The Supreme Leader said the US is bent on hurting independent countries, counting mainly on its apparent clout and dominance, but its political structure is in fact suffering from serious malfunction.
Ayatollah Khamenei also called for diligent follow-up of Iran-Venezuela agreements and said making use of available capacities would accelerate the cooperation process.
The Venezuelan president in the meeting, in which also was present Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, expressed his great pleasure of once again visiting Iran and said the Islamic Republic of Iran serves as a good example for other countries. He added that numerous mutual contracts in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals and other branches of industry signify the importance that both countries attach to expanding cooperation.
Hugo Chavez said during the recent political developments in Latin America, the region has seen independent and anti-US governments taking over and this trend shows that the US imperialism is weakening and thus independent states are optimistic and hopeful about their future.