Venezuela to sell petrol to Iran

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Caracas,Venezuela, 3 July 2007.  After visiting Iran during the weekend, Venezuelan President announced today during a TV address that his country would be selling petrol to Iran. Rafael Ramírez, Venezuelan Minister for Oil is now in Teheran negotiating terms of a purchasing agreement. Iran has a limited refining capacity and recently imposed a fuel rationing scheme. Such much delayed measure provoked street protests and public outcry. However, various political forces backed such unpopular scheme due to impending economic reforms and the need to control public subsidies and inflation. Venezuelan and Iran keep a strategic partnership. They advocate multipolarity at the international arena and oppose US imperialism. Both countries recently signed 33 new cooperation agreements. Venezuelan opposition criticises this growing bilateral relation.

Sources: Unionradio, Telesur,  Globovision, BBC, RNV Eluniversal