TEHRAN -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said here on Saturday that his country would stand beside Iran under any circumstances. At a press conference with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Chavez stated, “If we are united, we can defeat imperialism, but if we are divided, they can push us out of their way, and this has been the experience of countries over the past two hundred years.”

Iran and Venezuela prioritize the expansion of economic cooperation, especially in the fields of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, he said.

The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela invited Iranian companies to invest and cooperate in the South American country’s oil projects.

The plan for the production of medicines and industrial molds is one of the main joint projects of the two countries, he added.

Ahmadinejad said that Iran regards Venezuela’s progress as its own and described the two nations as “freedom-seekers”.

“Mr. Chavez is popular in Iran because of his revolutionary stances,” he added.

Iran seeks to use all its potential for the promotion of bilateral ties, he explained.

Chavez and a high-ranking Venezuelan delegation arrived in Tehran on Saturday afternoon for a two-day visit.