The Office of the Supreme Leader

IR Leader lauds brave stances of Chavez over Gaza

Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his entourage on Saturday hailed the Venezuelan President's brave and justice-seeking stances and his philanthropy and said," As you came to power in Venezuela a new page was opened in the history of the Latin American region and braveness of the Venezuelan government and nation have brought self-confidence to the people of the region."

Ayatollah Khamenei lauded the courageous stances of the Venezuelan government and president over the Gaza and cutting ties with the Zionist regime and said," What the of the Venezuelan government did in fact was the duty of the European governments which are so-called advocates of the human rights but unfortunately the European governments performed in the opposite direction."

The Islamic Revolution Leader said that America was accessory to the Zionist regime's crimes and pointed to the arrogant governments' anger at the stances of the Venezuelan government during the Gaza war and said," the anger of the arrogant governments and their statements against us revealed our influence in this regard."

Pointing to the propaganda hue and cry over IRI's nuclear energy which was arranged since some last years, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the anger of the arrogant powers in this regard showed that IRI's access to the technology of nuclear energy was an influential step towards strengthening the front of the right in the global equations.

"Westerners know well that we are not after nuclear bomb but they are angry because a country has accessed to the technology without their permission," the Islamic Revolution Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei advised all countries which able to access the nuclear energy to gain the technology and said," As the oil revenues are limited and for proper exploitation of the new energies we should get nuclear technology as the safest way for producing energy."

The Islamic Revolution Leader termed the level of cooperation between Iran and Venezuela as good and said that the capacities of the two countries for expansion of ties are great and these mutual ties could be changed into multilateral ties at the international and regional arenas.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that confidence and support of the Venezuelan people to their president is a great blessing and opportunity and said," Every popular government could resist firmly against powers and these conditions and divine blessings are existed in Venezuela and Iran."

President Hugo Chavez for his part expressed his satisfaction over another meeting with the Islamic Revolution Leader named himself as follower of the Islamic Revolution and its leaders saying," We have taken many lessons from political experiences of the Iranian government and nation for resisting against enemies and imperialism and will continue firmly our fight for to preserve our independence."

Chavez termed his talks with his Iranian counterpart as useful and constructive and said," We agreed over the 'Road Map' for ten years cooperation between the two countries and we hope that bilateral ties would be increased more than before."

Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was present in the meeting.

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