March 12, 2005
Iranian and Venezuelan Presidents inaugurate tractor manufacturing plant

(Iranian news agency IRNA reproduced by BBC Monitoring Service) - "A tractor manufacturing plant was inaugurated in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, in a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez President Khatami inspected different sections of the plant as the memorial board was unveiled at the inaugural ceremony.

Iran's ministers of foreign affairs Kamal Kharrazi and of Industries and Mines Eshaq Jahangiri were accompanying Khatami on the visit (...)

Iranian and Venezuelan officials signed the contract for establishing the plant in Tehran in December 2003 concurrent with an official visit to Tehran by Chávez.

The plant has the capacity to produce 5,000 tractors a year. The plant is expected to earn the country 80m dollars to 100m dollars out of exporting its products.

The Iranian party has undertaken management of the plant, which has created jobs for 2,000 people directly and indirectly (...)".