Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the announcement, adding that the visits will help bring Iran’s economic cooperation with Latin America to ‘a whole new level’.
The tour will include one-day, intensive visits to Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela, he said.
“There are many fields for economic cooperation between Iran and these six countries, but the capacities have yet to be fully utilized,” he said.
Iran can start good cooperation with Latin America in exporting technical-engineering services, biotechnology, exporting medicine, dam and road construction, as well as energy, he said.
Noting that a 60-strong economic delegation will accompany Zarif and other senior officials on the tour, Takht-Ravanchi added, “on these visits, Zarif will hold bilateral meetings with senior officials of each respective country and attend economic seminars with the private sector aimed at discovering areas for serious economic cooperation.”
He also pointed to the reopening of Chilean embassy in Tehran 35 years after its closure, saying the two countries are in talks to improve relations to the level of ambassadors, although it cannot be said with certainty that this would happen immediately after the visit of Foreign Minister Zarif to Santiago.
To a question on whether Zarif would meet with Fidel Castro while in Cuba, the Iranian diplomat said Castro’s physical condition would not allow foreign meetings, but if the possibility presents itself, Zarif would certainly meet with these revolutionary figure.
Takht-Ravanchi further stressed that Zarif’s visit would pave the way for President Rouhani’s visit to Latin America.
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