Ahmadinejad to tour LatAm nations

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to go on a four-nation tour of Latin America in the second week of January, says the presidential office director general for international affairs. Mohammad Reza Forqani said Wednesday that the Iranian chief executive will first arrive in Venezuela to visit President Hugo Chavez and confer with him on matters of mutual interest. The president will then leave for Nicaragua where he would attend the swearing-in ceremony for Nicaraguan President Ariel Ortega following his recent re-election, Forqani added. He will also discuss bilateral ties and regional developments with his Nicaraguan counterpart. President Ahmadinejad will also visit Cuba and Ecuador to hold talks with senior officials of the two countries to discuss bilateral relations, the official added. The promotion of all-out cooperation with Latin American countries is among the top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy. Iran and Latin American countries have been working towards developing diplomatic relations and increasing economic cooperation.