|
|
Iran, Nicaragua Sign
Trade Deal
Panama's Regulator
Imposes us$500,000 in fines on Movistar
Honduran Ex President
Denies his Alleged Death
First Cuban Infant
Cochlear Implant
Bolivia Law Fights
HIV-AIDS |
|
Iran, Nicaragua Sign
Trade Deal
Iran is to help
Nicaragua develop its
infrastructure in return
for farm products,
according to a trade
deal signed between the
two countries. Under the
agreement, Iran will
help fund a new us$350
million ocean port and
build houses and
industrial sites.
In exchange, Nicaragua
promised to export to
Iran coffee, meat and
bananas.
Government spokeswoman
Rosario Murillo said
Iran will fund a farm
equipment assembly
plant, four
hydroelectric plants,
five milk-processing
plants, a health clinic,
the building of 10,000
houses, and two piers in
the western port of
Corinto.
The signing ceremony,
led by Ortega and
Iranian Deputy Energy
Minister Minister Hamid
Chitchian, came one week
after the US ambassador
to Nicaragua warned
Nicaragua about its
increasingly close ties
with Iran.
Iran also pledged to
choose in November a
site for a us$120
million hydroelectric
project to help
Nicaragua overcome a
power crisis marked by
daily blackouts in the
Central American nation.
Despite US warnings,
President Daniel Ortega
is building alliances
with anti-Washington
countries such as
Venezuela and Iran,
which are flush with
cash from high world oil
prices and eager to win
friends in Latin
America.
The deep-water port on
the Caribbean coast
would be Nicaragua's
first.
Venezuela would also
provide funding for the
project, Ortega told a
news conference.
"We will work to combine
Iranian investment with
other friendly
countries," Ortega said.
"Venezuela would be
ready and willing to
take part in an effort
like this," said Ortega,
who spoke with
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez two days
earlier.
Ortega, a Cold War
veteran who won power
for a second time in
January, is eager for
help to end power
blackouts that hurt his
popularity.
Venezuela this year
shipped large
electricity generators
to Nicaragua and these
have helped shorten the
blackouts.
Ortega also said that he
has sought Brazil's aid
to end the energy
crisis.
Brazil's President Luiz
Inacio Lula de Silva
will visit Nicaragua
next week.
The Iranian visit
followed Ortega's trip
to Tehran in June and a
visit to Managua in
January by Iranian
President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iran's
Deputy Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian
(c) talks to Nicaragua's President
Daniel Ortega (r) during a meeting in
Managua.
|
|
|
| |
|
