Venezuelan President to Visit Qatar, Iran, and Japan

Mérida, March 30th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez initiated a diplomatic tour Sunday during which he will participate in a summit of Arab and South American countries in Qatar, create a joint investment fund with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and sign an energy accord with Japan.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Sunday, Chávez said closer relations between South America and the Arab world is a product of South America’s turn away from Washington-led policies and toward integration and cooperation among Global South countries.

“Ten years ago it was impossible to think of a meeting between Arab and South American countries,” said Chávez. “Now that the movements of the Left have occupied spaces of power and government in Latin America, the possibility is open.”

The summit, which will take place Tuesday, “is a demonstration that the possibility of developing South-South cooperation exists,” said Robert Noriega, the director of business relations at the Venezuelan Embassy in Qatar.

Other South American presidents, including Evo Morales of Bolivia, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina, and Fernando Lugo of Paraguay will also attend the summit.

In Iran, Chávez said he plans to concretize plans for a bi-national development bank with President Ahmadinejad, and discuss the progress of several dozen other joint development projects, including bicycle and agricultural machinery factories in Venezuela.

Chávez will then travel to Japan, where the diplomatic agenda will include “an interesting bilateral energy accord that is of great importance to our people,” he said.

Venezuela is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting States (OPEC), which has implemented 4.2 million barrels per day of supply reductions since October to help stabilize declining oil prices amidst the global financial crisis.

Several Arab leaders have praised President Chávez for terminating diplomatic relations with Israel in January to protest Israel’s deadly siege of Gaza. On Sunday, Chávez said Venezuela is not prepared to renew relations with Israel unless a substantial change occurs in Israeli policy.

“If something real were to happen that positively impacted the situation, we would think about it,” said Chávez regarding a renewal of relations. “But in this moment we have not considered it and we do not envision re-establishing relations on any horizon.”

The Venezuelan president also said he fears no reprisal from the Israeli government or that of its ally, the United States. “The suffering of our people is also the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he remarked.