Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks at the Iran-Venezuela economic and trade summit in Caracas on Saturday, with his Venezuelan counterpart, Delcy Rodriguez, in attendance.
�The Iranian government and nation will keep up their�strong and good relations with Venezuela as a country of resistance,� which is a legacy of the late president Hugo Chavez.
Zarif further hailed the former Venezuelan leader for adopting �revolutionary� policies in the face of foreign pressure.
Tehran and Caracas �enjoy highly warm and cordial relations, which are rooted in the resilience and pro-independence policies of both nations,� said Zarif, adding that the two sides should pursue �deeper, more strategic and more serious� ties.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) meets with his Venezuelan counterpart, Delcy Rodriguez, in Caracas, August 27, 2016.[/caption]Zarif arrived in Venezuela on Saturday on the last leg of his six-nation Latin American tour, which took him to Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile.
The top Iranian diplomat has traveled to the region at the head of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, comprising 120 businessmen and financial executives from government and private sectors.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif pointed to the presence of high-ranking Iranian officials from�both�government and private sectors in the delegation accompanying him, saying this shows Iran�s willingness to enhance bilateral ties with Venezuela in different areas.
He further expressed hope that with the signing of an agreement between the two countries� central banks would pave the way for enhanced economic ties between the two countries.
In turn, Rodriguez, who is also President Nicolas Maduro�s deputy,�said the Iranian delegation�s visit to Caracas shows the Islamic Republic�s strategic relations with Latin American states, particularly Venezuela.
Remembering Chavez as the founder of Tehran-Caracas ties, she noted�Maduro is set to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and preserve good relations with Iran.
�We were seeking to reinforce ties and unity among the two countries,� Rodriguez added. Iran and Venezuela are members of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and have common viewpoints on the strategic issues, she pointed out.
In an address to Zarif, the top Venezuelan diplomat also said, �Our country is your home and [you] are in your home.�
By Press TV
