According to the Iran Republic News Agency (IRNA), President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday met with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran’s capital.

At the meeting, the President welcomed Iran’s active presence in Latin America as well as in the Caribbean region

Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and President Bharrat Jagdeo, proceed along the red carpet flanked by one of Iran’s elite military units (Courtesy of Iran Republic News Agency)

Ayatollah Khamenei, for his part, commended Guyana for adopting an independent foreign policy in dealing with international affairs, and promised his country’s friendship.

“Those nations trying to remain independent and do not intend to trample upon rights of others are regarded as our friends, irrespective of their races or languages,” he said.

Referring to common ground shared by both countries in various fields, such as commerce, industry and mining, the Supreme Leader underlined that Iran is ready to transfer its invaluable experiences to Guyana.

He indicated that the large number of Muslims in Guyana and its membership of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) has prepared the ground for expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

Also present at the meeting was the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Guyana also signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Iran in the areas of political and visa services and Iran’s development assistance to Guyana.

President Bharrat Jagdeo meets with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran’s capital, on January 21, 2010 (Courtesy of Iran Republic News Agency)

The MoUs were signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and her Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

President Ahmadinejad also held an official ceremony to send off President Jagdeo yesterday as he is scheduled to leave Tehran for Mashhad to inaugurate a number of development projects in the Khorasan Razavi province of Iran.

President Jagdeo is on a trip to the Middle East that has already seen him visiting Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to generate interest is that part of the world for investments in Guyana.

In addition to Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, he is accompanied by Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali and President of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), Fazeel Ferouz, among others.