The Iranian president and his Venezuelan counterpart announced Saturday they would fund developing countries to lessen their dependency on the United States.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez said they would create a multibillion dollar fund to help finance projects in countries that traditionally rely mainly on U.S. funding, Globovision TV reported.
Ahmadinejad and Chavez -- speaking from the Venezuelan capital -- said they would together help smaller, poorer nations escape the "imperialist yoke" of the United States.
The anti-U.S. Ahmadinejad is meeting with the Bush administration critic Chavez for the third time in seven months. The Iranian leader was last in Venezuela in September, while Chavez traveled to Tehran last July.
The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to bolster trade ties and may talk about future nuclear cooperation.
Ahmadinejad is expected to visit Ecuador and Nicaragua on his current trip to Latin America.
The Iranian leader has reached out to the leftist Chavez in recent months, noting they share a common disdain for U.S. foreign policy.
Washington has accused Iran of being a state sponsor of terrorism and supporter of radical Shiite factions in Iraq. Bush administration officials say Chavez is using his country's oil wealth to promote his socialist ideals throughout the region.
© 2007 UPI