Asia-Pacific

Clinton words on Iran-LatAm ties infringe int'l norms: Iran

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-15 22:58

TEHRANM: An Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that the remarks of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding Tehran's ties with Latin American countries infringed international norms, the English language satellite Press TV reported.

The comments of Clinton infringed accepted diplomatic norms regarding the relations between the two sides, Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly press conference.

On Friday, Clinton warned Latin American countries of promoting their ties with Iran which is pursuing nuclear program under international pressure, saying they should "think twice."

"We also are well aware of Iran's interests in promoting itself with a number of other countries ... and we can only say that is a really bad idea for the countries involved," Clinton said, singling out Venezuela and Bolivia.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil last month. But Clinton didn't mention Brazil.

Mehmanparast said that those countries in the Bolivarian Alliance of Americas (ALBA), including major states of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras and Dominica, have " unanimously rejected and condemned such comments."