Warm Venezuelan greeting for Ahmadinejad

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was greeted warmly by his Venezuelan counterpart during a visit to the South American country.

Hugo Chavez rolled out the red carpet for the brief visit to Venezuela, following a short trip to Bolivia to make political and economic alliances.

Mr Ahmadinejad addressed the UN General Assembly in New York earlier this week, and rebuked "arrogant powers" seeking to curb Iran's nuclear programme.

Referring to the US, Mr Chavez said: "An imperial spokesperson tried to disrespect you, calling you a small and cruel tyrant.

"You answered with the size of the revolutionaries, you answered with the moral strength of the brother of the people of Iran, and further with moral strength of the people of the world."

Mr Chavez also strongly defends Iran's nuclear research, insisting it is for peaceful energy uses despite US charges it is aimed at pursuing nuclear weapons.

Relations between Caracas and Tehran have grown very close since trade agreements were signed between the two countries in 2001, worth more than £10 billion in potential investment.

Venezuelan Jewish leaders had objected to the presence of Mr Ahmadinejad, who has called for the end of Israel and questioned the history of the Holocaust.

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