Tehran, April 21, IRNA – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran supports Venezuela’s programs within the OPEC.

He made the remarks here on Tuesday in a meeting with the visiting Oil Minister Asdrubal Chavez and Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.

Zarif said Iran backed the policies and programs pursued by Venezuela in the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC).

He also underscored the necessity of expanding relations in every possible area including politics, economy and energy.

Referring to a plans followed by certain countries to reduce oil prices, the foreign minister said Iran was working towards cutting dependence on oil prices so the lowering prices could affect Iranian budget in no significant way.

He also said extremism and terrorism are a real threat to the whole region.

He regretted that certain countries have failed to address the threat in an appropriate scale.

Zarif also voiced dismay over the fact that some countries were trying to portray the crisis in Yemen as a religious conflict and said common people are being targeted in the country of every religion regardless of their faiths.

He explained that since Yemen has no military infrastructure, all attacks fall on non-military targets.

He pointed to the letter he sent the United Nations secretary general and foreign ministers of all member states on the crisis in Yemen and said Iran’s four-point scheme includes ceasefire both in land and air, dispatching of humanitarian aids, inter-Yemeni dialogue without foreign intervention and the formation of a broad government.

The Venezuelan foreign minister expressed pleasure over her Iran visit and voiced readiness of Caracas for all-out expansion of ties with Tehran.

She stressed the strategic relations existing between the two nations and said they needed to increase cooperation and coordination in regional and international issues.

By IRNA