Latin American countries are sovereign and independent states and have the right to independently choose their cooperation partners, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on Monday.
Recent media reports said that U.S. President Donald Trump told oil industry executives during a meeting at the White House that China and Russia could only purchase Venezuelan crude oil under U.S. control. He also claimed that if the United States did not take over Venezuela's oil industry, China or Russia would do so.
"Latin American countries are sovereign and independent states and have the right to independently choose their cooperation partners. No matter how the situation evolves, China will continue to deepen practical cooperation with Latin American countries, including Venezuela, and promote common development," Mao noted.
Latin Amercian countries free to choose cooperation partners: spokeswoman
Latin Amercian countries free to choose cooperation partners: spokeswoman
Latin Amercian countries free to choose cooperation partners: spokeswoman
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.
The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.
Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest
