MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela announced nuclear energy cooperation program with Iran

Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad has promoted technology transfers to Venezuela (Photo Efe)

Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez revealed in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro that he has signed an agreement with his Iranian peer Mahmud Ahmadinejad to develop a nuclear program with the help of the Teheran regime.

“We are grateful to President Mahmud Ahmadinejad for the technology transfer and the agreement signed last week to help us develop a nuclear program with Iran”, said Chavez arguing that both countries have the right to develop nuclear energy.

Venezuela is working in a preliminary project for the construction of a “nuclear villa” with the help of Iran, so that “the people of Venezuela in the future can count with this marvellous resource for peaceful purposes”, Chavez was quoted by Le Figaro.

“Iran has a right to develop nuclear energy such as France has and so many other countries, and so can Venezuela”, said Chavez who added he was certain that “Iran is not involved in the manufacturing of nuclear weapons, nor do we want them”

Western countries, Russia, China and the UN Atomic Agency have serious suspicions that Iran in trying in undercover ways to manufacture nuclear arms alleging that its program is entirely civilian for peaceful purposes.

Teheran has repeatedly denied any intentions of possessing or manufacturing nuclear weapons, but has denied access to its plants and has argued that “if Israel has them, why shouldn’t the Muslim world be also prepared”, and demands inspections of the Israeli nuclear program.

In the meantime Kremlin sources said that there are no arms deals in the pipeline with Venezuela, as had been published in the Western media.

However Russia did not exclude awarding Venezuela a credit for the purchase of Russian arms.

Russia has become Venezuela’s main supplier of military hardware including fighter bombers, submarines, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles.