June 12, 2006
Syria backs Venezuela's bid for U.N. security council seat

(AP Worldstream) - "Syria is backing Venezuela's efforts to win a contested seat on the U.N. Security Council, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad said.

'We are going to collaborate so Venezuela obtains that seat,' Mekdad said in a statement following a closed-door meeting with Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel.

Venezuela is competing with Guatemala for a regional seat on the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

The U.S. government _ which has frequently been at odds with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez _ publicly backed Guatemala's bid at last week's Organization of American States general assembly in the Dominican Republic.

Chávez vowed that Venezuela would continue to fight for the seat, and slammed Washington for pressuring other countries to reject his nation's candidacy.

Argentina and Brazil have expressed support for Venezuela, while Central American nations are expected to support their neighbor Guatemala.

The seat will become available in January. If the region cannot agree on a consensus candidate, the issue will be taken up by the U.N. General Assembly".