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Venezuela threatens to cut oil exports to US
AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, righ, shakes hands with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, before an official welcoming ceremony for Chavez in Tehran, Iran , Saturday, July 29, 2006.
By Elio Ohep
Petroleumworld
LONDON
Petroleumworld.com 07 31 06The visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Tehran on Saturday, brought with him an anti-imperialist message for his fellow Iran's leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez on Sunday repeated a threat to halt oil exports to the United States if Washington continues its "hostile policies" towards Caracas.
"Our policy is transparent. If the US wants to carry out hostile policies against us, we stop oil exports to this country," Ramirez was quoted as saying by the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
"We can not steadily export oil to the US and be steadily subject to its hostility. Some actions should be taken against this situation," said the minister.Ramirez said that US policies in Iraq and against Iran and other oil exporters are to blame for high oil prices of above 70 dollars per barrel, reported AFP.
"The situation in Iraq is awful. The hostile US reaction against Iran and some oil producers and exporters is the reason why oil prices have reached the current level." Ramirez said, AFP quoted.
Ramirez is accompanying President Hugo Chavez on the visit to Iran.
Chavez message of solidarityPresident Hugo Chavez told Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that Venezuela is backing Iran all the way.
"We will stand beside Iran in every time and occasion and under every circumstance," Chavez said, AFP quoted.
"If we are united, we can not only resist but we can also defeat imperialism," the charismatic president told reporters, according to AFP news story.Chavez is of a 22 days trips for various countries, an is due in Vietnam on Sunday.
- Elio Ohep, editor@petroleumworld.com, 58 412 996 3730, Caracas.
Petroleumworld News 30 07 06
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