Bolivian President Evo Morales went to Tehran on October 24 for a three-day state visit. During it, Iran offered to help Bolivia establish a nuclear plant, but the two presidents did not discuss anything concerning uranium. Bolivia apparently wants to do studies, analyses and investigations before being able to speak about the subject. The manager of the vanishing resources division of the Mining Ministry, Luis Alberto Echazu, said there is a uranium deposit in Cotaje, Potosi; and that small quantities of the radioactive element were extracted from there in 1974.
According an Israeli government report, Bolivia, along with Venezuela is supplying Iran with uranium for its nuclear program. The document stresses that Venezuela and Bolivia are violating the United Nations Security Council's economic sanctions with their aid to Iran, concluding that "Since Ahmadinejad's rise to power, Tehran has been promoting an aggressive policy aimed at bolstering its ties with Latin American countries with the declared goal of 'bringing America to its knees.'"
Less than two months ago, Tehran extended La Paz a credit line of about $287 million as development aid, particularly for mineral exploration and the textile industry. In 2007, Iranian President Ahmadinejad became the first Iranian chief executive to visit Bolivia. During the trip, the two countries signed an agreement on conducting joint projects worth $1.1 billion over the next five years. The amount of money is significant for a country like Bolivia, whose annual GDP barely reaches $9 billion.
From the Iranian Press:
- Iran will help Bolivia industrialize its lithium mines
- Bolivia possesses about 70% of the world's lithium; Iran is one of Bolivia's main partners in the lithium production
- Iran to help Bolivia build nuclear power plant
- Bolivian Minister expresses regrets for opposition efforts reports to describe relations with as a threat to world peace
- Iran and Bolivia to establish joint bank and open credit lines
- Ahmadinejad: "Iran and Bolivia have common enemies"
- Ahmadinejad: "Iran and Bolivia share the same enemies, the same interests"
- Ahmadinejad: Iran will win its battle against Imperialism
- Photos of Morales and Ahmadinejad playing football
- Iranian President Ahmadinejad and his visiting Bolivian counterpart Morales play football
- Iran and Bolivia boost resistance front against Imperialism
November 10, 2010
Iran will help Bolivia industrialize its lithium mines
Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian says Iran will help Bolivia industrialize its lithium mines and produce lithium batteries. [...] Iran will render technical and engineering assistance for the projects and will also cooperate with Bolivia in producing other lithium products [...]. During the Bolivian president's visit, Tehran and La Paz inked five memoranda of understating [...].
Iran signed a deal with Bolivia last year to help the Andean nation conduct research on the exploitation of lithium in the Salar de Uyuni desert. Iranian experts, Brazil's Ministry of Science, and researchers from companies such as France's Eramet SA and Bollore SA conducted a joint study on Bolivia's lithium reserves.
Bolivia possesses about 70% of the world's lithium; Iran is one of Bolivia's main partners in the lithium production
Bolivia possesses about 70% of the world's lithium and should thus be able to supply the international market for the next 500 years and reduce the world's reliance on dwindling fossil fuels, experts say.
Lithium has wide applications in the production of rechargeable batteries in cell phones, laptops, and electric cars. Lithium can also be compounded with aluminum for use in the production of light bodies for airplanes and cars. The Bolivian government plans to eventually produce 30,000 tons of lithium per annum. Iran is one of Bolivia's main partners in the area of lithium production and has inked a number of agreements on the exploitation of the country's lithium mines. Press TV (Iran)
November 1, 2010
Bolivia dismisses media reports on the launch of joint projects with Iran to exploit uranium
Bolivia says it has no plans for joint uranium exploitation and exploration projects with Iran, although the two countries have agreed to build a nuclear plant in the South American country. "The uranium issue is not on the agenda, neither in any agreements. We have not decided on anything about uranium and still we do not have conditions to do it. We do not have any plan for this issue," [said] Arce [...].
Arce dismissed media reports that Bolivia had launched joint projects with Iran to exploit uranium, saying during the recent visit by Bolivian President Evo Morales to Iran, the two countries held no talks on uranium because Bolivia has no studies or research in hand regarding what its reserves of that substance might be.
Bolivian Minister expresses regrets for opposition efforts reports to describe relations with as a threat to world peace
"We still have not talked about uranium. I think that we are still not in shape to do so. We have to make studies, analyses and investigations to be able to speak about uranium," the minister said. The Bolivian minister expressed his country's regret for efforts by certain politicians from the opposition and some media reports to describe relations between Iran and Bolivia as a threat to world peace.
The remarks came after President Morales confirmed [...] that Bolivia plans to build a nuclear plant with Iran's help, stressing the facility would be for peaceful purposes. "There is nothing to lie about: One of the things we are working on with Iran is of course to have a nuclear plant, to generate energy," Morales said. [...] During his meetings with Iranian officials, Morales invited Iran to establish a stronger presence in Bolivia. The two countries also signed five memoranda of understating following the talks. [...] Press TV (Iran)
October 31, 2010
Iran to help Bolivia build nuclear power plant
Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Friday that Bolivia and Iran will work together to build a nuclear power plant in Bolivia. Bolivia and Iran "have expressed interest in developing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy", [said] Morales [...]
Iran has offered to set up a joint venture with Bolivia on lithium battery and nuclear electricity production [...]. Bolivia has the right to develop peaceful use of nuclear energy, and no one has the right to interfere, he added. Tehran Times (Iran)
October 31, 2010
Bolivia to buy warplanes and helicopters from Iran
Bolivia will buy military airplanes and helicopters from Tehran under an agreement signed during the visit of President Evo Morales to Iran [...].
"We have expressed ... our interest in buying some airplanes and helicopters of Iranian manufacture, which are basically for training," Economy and Finance Minister Luis Arce told state media. The airplanes include the FAJR-3, S-68 and the Iran-140, of which Arce said only that the third can transport 52 people, and the helicopters will be four-seat versions. He added that all the aircraft will be used to train Bolivian Air Force pilots.
Included in the same agreement, the minister said, is a provision for Iranian technicians to come to Bolivia to perform maintenance on the military aircraft. Bolivia's current fleet of military aircraft comes from the United States.
Latin America Herald Tribune
October 28, 2010
Iran and Bolivia to establish joint bank and open credit lines
Iran and Bolivia signed five memoranda of understanding in Tehran [...], based on which they will establish a joint bank and open credit lines. Senior officials from the two sides inked the related documents. [...] The two countries will expand relations in consular, banking, mining and industrial fields as well.
Bolivian President Evo Morales referred to Iran as a great and developing nation and added that expanding all-out ties with Iran is of high importance for his country. The agreements will guarantee the transfer of technological know-how from Iran to Bolivia in agriculture, dairy and textile industries, he added. [...]
Managing Director of Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Company Abolfath Ebrahimi Monday said in Tabriz city that the company is ready to set up a tractor production line in Bolivia [...]. "We are also prepared to train Bolivian experts and transfer necessary technology to that country," Ebrahimi was quoted as saying.
The Bolivian president called for transfer of Iran's tractor producing technology to his country. Morales also ordered to purchase some 1,000 tractors from Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Company. [...]
In 2007, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became the first Iranian chief executive to visit Bolivia. During the trip, the two countries signed an agreement on conducting joint projects worth $1.1 billion dollars over the next five years [...].
Tehran Times (Iran)
October 27, 2010
Ahmadinejad: "Iran and Bolivia have common enemies"
"Iran and Bolivia have common enemies, interests and views about resolving international issues," President Ahmadinejad said at a joint press conference with his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales [...].
Ahmadinejad stressed that Iran and Bolivia are on a same independent and justice-seeking front, and added, "Each of us enjoys capabilities that are useful for the other side. In other word, we are more successful when we stay together."
Ahmadinejad further underscored that Tehran and Sucre [the second capital of Bolivia] are well aware of their enemies' plots and take astute and vigilant steps to defuse enemies' moves. [...] Morales, for his part, said that the agreements made between the two sides will ensure transfer of industrial and technological knowledge to Bolivia. He also pointed to Iran's experience in the mining sector, and said that his country intends to use Iran as a partner in this filed. [...] Fars News Agency (Iran)
October 27, 2010
Ahmadinejad: "Iran and Bolivia share the same enemies, the same interests"
"Iran and Bolivia share the same enemies, the same interests, and the same outlook on how to resolve global crises," Ahmadinejad [...]. Speaking at a joint press conference with his visiting Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales, Ahmadinejad said Tehran and La Paz could tap into each other's potentials and expertise to flourish and counter their "enemies."
"We are quite acquainted with our enemy and its schemes, so [we] tread wisely," IRNA [Islamic Republic News Agency] quoted the Iranian chief executive as saying on Wednesday, hours after the two countries inked five new memoranda of understanding. "All countries must be able to claim equal rights like the right to independence, respect and progress," Ahmadinejad added, echoing his remarks at a United Nations summit last month.[...]
Ahmadinejad: Iran will win its battle against Imperialism
In a speech to the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) [...], Morales also said he was certain his country would win its battle against "imperialism." "Imperialism dominated our country in all economic and human fields for years, but at the beginning of my presidency I tried to make fundamental changes and nationalize gas and oil for the interest of my nation," the visiting Bolivian president told Iranian lawmakers. Press TV (Iran)
October 27, 2010
Several top Iranian players [...] also played in the match [...] in Tehran [...]. In the match, Morales passed the ball to the Iranian president and Ahmadinejad scored a goal for the Iranian-Bolivian presidential team. The fifty-year-old Bolivian president is a keen footballer and plays the game frequently, often with local teams.
In 2007, he played a match at 6,000 meters above sea level in a protest against efforts to stop Bolivia playing its international fixtures at high altitude. And in 2006, he suffered a broken nose in a clash with a goalkeeper. [...]
The Bolivian president also paid a visit to the north-western city of Tabriz where he attended a training session of Iranian team Teraktorsazi. Press TV (Iran)
October 26, 2010
Iran and Bolivia boost resistance front against Imperialism
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales stressed boosting resistance front of independent and freedom-seeking nations against Imperialism."Imperialism is in the position of weakness," the two presidents emphasized in a meeting in Tehran [...].
"No doubt that enhancing independent nations' front is beneficial to the world peace and security and it weakens capitalism more," Ahmadinejad said. "The situation is changing in favor of independent nations and it (the opportunity) should be used tactfully."
Evo Morales on his part pointed to his visit of Iran's industrial achievements and expressed satisfaction over the country's gains. "Independent countries' close cooperation can lessen their vulnerability to Imperialism," he added. ISNA (Iran)
