Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CARACAS2212
2007-11-20 21:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:
CHAVEZ VISITS IRAN: THE FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS
how-toVZCZCXRO1621 RR RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHCV #2212 3242151 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 202151Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0133 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0119 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0948 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL IR VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ VISITS IRAN: THE FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS
REF: A. CARACAS 694
B. CARACAS 01361
C. CARACAS 1937
Classified By: Economic Counselor Andrew N. Bowen for Reason 1.4 (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 002212
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL IR VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ VISITS IRAN: THE FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS
REF: A. CARACAS 694
B. CARACAS 01361
C. CARACAS 1937
Classified By: Economic Counselor Andrew N. Bowen for Reason 1.4 (D)
1. (C) On November 19, President Chavez visited Tehran for
the fourth time since 2005 and the sixth time since 1998.
During the five-hour stop-over, Chavez and his entourage of
five ministers and the mayor of Caracas met with President
Ahmadinejad and Iranian officials. According to media
reports and the publicly available transcript of the event,
the BRV and GOI signed four cooperation agreements promising
to produce industrial molds, set up formal links between
energy ministries, create a Venezuelan - Iran binational
investment fund, and establish a binational bank. Chavez
said he believed other countries would eventually join the
binational bank and the binational investment fund would
promote development in Venezuela, Iran, and third countries.
Chavez declared that with the addition of the new agreements,
Venezuela and Iran have signed 186 agreements, signaling a
"solid strategic alliance," valued at approximately USD 4.6
billion. (Note: In early March, the Iranian Embassy in
Caracas told reporters that the then 169 agreements were
worth USD 17 billion (Ref A). End Note.)
2. (SBU) During the short visit, Chavez and Ahmadinejad
blasted the United States and denounced "U.S. imperialism."
At the signing ceremony, Chavez picked up where Ahmadinejad
and he left off at the OPEC Summit, predicting, "soon we will
not speak of dollars, the imperial dollar will sink, and with
it, will sink the empire of the United States." He added,
"we must pray that God helps us accelerate the end to the
deviant United States empire." Chavez added that he rejected
threats from the U.S. "empire," and said Iran had the right
to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In response,
Ahmadinejad said, "we are two brother countries that have
common ideals," and added, "we have common plans and programs
to improve local and international security with the purpose
of promoting peace." The BRV-run Bolivarian News Agency also
reported Chavez saying, "we are ready to confront North
American imperialism in whatever territory and defeat it. We
are already defeating it and we will defeat it. We don't
want war but we are prepared to be free." News of the visit
was widely reported in the local media.
DUDDY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL IR VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ VISITS IRAN: THE FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS
REF: A. CARACAS 694
B. CARACAS 01361
C. CARACAS 1937
Classified By: Economic Counselor Andrew N. Bowen for Reason 1.4 (D)
1. (C) On November 19, President Chavez visited Tehran for
the fourth time since 2005 and the sixth time since 1998.
During the five-hour stop-over, Chavez and his entourage of
five ministers and the mayor of Caracas met with President
Ahmadinejad and Iranian officials. According to media
reports and the publicly available transcript of the event,
the BRV and GOI signed four cooperation agreements promising
to produce industrial molds, set up formal links between
energy ministries, create a Venezuelan - Iran binational
investment fund, and establish a binational bank. Chavez
said he believed other countries would eventually join the
binational bank and the binational investment fund would
promote development in Venezuela, Iran, and third countries.
Chavez declared that with the addition of the new agreements,
Venezuela and Iran have signed 186 agreements, signaling a
"solid strategic alliance," valued at approximately USD 4.6
billion. (Note: In early March, the Iranian Embassy in
Caracas told reporters that the then 169 agreements were
worth USD 17 billion (Ref A). End Note.)
2. (SBU) During the short visit, Chavez and Ahmadinejad
blasted the United States and denounced "U.S. imperialism."
At the signing ceremony, Chavez picked up where Ahmadinejad
and he left off at the OPEC Summit, predicting, "soon we will
not speak of dollars, the imperial dollar will sink, and with
it, will sink the empire of the United States." He added,
"we must pray that God helps us accelerate the end to the
deviant United States empire." Chavez added that he rejected
threats from the U.S. "empire," and said Iran had the right
to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In response,
Ahmadinejad said, "we are two brother countries that have
common ideals," and added, "we have common plans and programs
to improve local and international security with the purpose
of promoting peace." The BRV-run Bolivarian News Agency also
reported Chavez saying, "we are ready to confront North
American imperialism in whatever territory and defeat it. We
are already defeating it and we will defeat it. We don't
want war but we are prepared to be free." News of the visit
was widely reported in the local media.
DUDDY