'Chile keen to expand ties with Iran'

08 May 2011 | 17:26 Code : 12552 Latest Headlines

PressTV--Chilean Chamber of Deputies President Patricio Melero has called for the expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Santiago, particularly in the area of parliamentary affairs.

The Chilean official made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian ambassador to Chile, Houshang Karimi Abhari, in Santiago on Saturday, IRNA reported.

Melero welcomed the visit by an Iranian parliamentary friendship group to Chile, and expressed hope that such visits would help increase the level of interactions between the Iranian and Chilean parliaments.

In October 2010, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera underscored the necessity for the expansion of Iran-Chile relations, especially in the economic and cultural spheres.

Pinera praised Iran's cultural heritage and arts and the country's position among other nations and expressed the Chilean government is interested in enhancing relations between the two countries.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expanded the country's cooperation with many Latin American countries since he took office in 2005.

The promotion of cooperation with Latin American states is now a priority of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy.

According to statistics compiled by the International Monetary Fund, Iran's trade with Latin America has witnessed a considerable rise since 2008.