Quito - Ecuador President Rafael Correa confirmed that he
will make an official visit to Iran this week, to strengthen ties
between the two oil-producing nations and to bolster bilateral trade
and cooperation.
Correa vowed to work for 'the maximum benefit of our people, and
what is signed will be fulfilled,' noting that he will lead a group
of local businessman seeking opportunities in the Iranian market.
Correa, a left-leaning economist, began opening new ties with Iran
after taking office in January 2007, when President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad extended an invitation, with the establishment of
commercial offices in Tehran and Quito.
Relations deepened when Ecuador supported Iran's bid for a seat on
the UN Security Council, at the expense of Quito's traditional ally
Japan.
The Ecuadoran Foreign Ministry defended the diplomatic initiatives
by saying the government was exercising its sovereignty in
establishing relations that best serve the country's interests.
Correa, a friend of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is a
critic of Washington-led neoliberal trade policies and conditions
forced on developing nations in exchange for financial aid.
Correa has also threatened to default on Ecuador's foreign debt,
calling the country's obligations with International Monetary Fund
'illegal.' Last week, he sought support from South Americans allies
in the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of our America - a
Chavez initiative to combat the influence of US-led institutions in
the continent.
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