Senior advisor to the Iranian President, Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo on Saturday (Friday, in Paraguay).
His sweeping victory in the April elections put an end to 61 years of conservative party rule in the country.
Nine heads of state, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, six vice-presidents, Iran's Samareh Hashemi and dozens of other political and cultural figures from other countries as well as more than 10,000 Paraguayans were present in the ceremony.
Lugo, 57, a former bishop and a leftist and anti-imperialist said that he has decided to expand ties with leftist countries of the region, including Venezuela and Bolivia.
He said that while safeguarding its identity and keeping up its progress, Paraguay will have good relations with all.
Known as the 'bishop of the poor' and as a person leading patriotic coalition for change, Lugo said in his first speech as Paraguayan President that on the domestic scene, he will focus on campaign against poverty and bribery, paying attention to the po or, campaign against criminals and protecting the environment.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the ceremony, Samareh Hashemi said he was satisfied with the Islamic Republic of Iran's expansion of ties with Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay.
He emphasized Iran's will to expand ties with all Latin American states.
"Iran is major friend of Venezuela and today we have another friend: Paraguay," he added.
He said that he took part in the swearing in ceremony of new Paraguayan President to covey the warm greetings of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He added that Tehran wants to cooperate with Paraguay in various fields of experience.
"Iran is willing to have good diplomatic and commercial relations with all countries, except the Zionist regime of Israel," he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Samareh Hashemi criticized America's policies and said, "America invasion on Iraq and Afghanistan claimed more than a million victims: In Iraq alone about four million were rendered homeless due to the invasion."
He said the big powers are now on verge of collapse and have been disgraced because they have deceived nations."
America attacked Iraq on the pretext of uncovering weapons of mass destruction whereas there were no such thing. It still refuses to leave Iraqi territory," he added.
He voiced confidence that Washington will sooner or later have to get its soldiers out of different countries such as Iraq because of the failing economy in the country.
He reiterated that Washington should take 160,000 of its troops out of Iraq.