Iran and Bolivia have agreed to defend each other as the two countries take an anti-imperialism stand against the West, Iran's president says.
"Despite our geographical distance, Iran and Bolivia are close. The two nations share similar outlooks," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a joint press conference with visiting Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales on Tuesday, Press TV reports.
Ahmadinejad said Tehran and La Paz are determined to 'defend their nations against enemies' in a bid to protect their national interests.
President Morales arrived in Tehran on Monday to discuss the expansion of trade and energy cooperation with Iran.
President Morales, for his part, said no country or force 'can deter Bolivia from expanding ties with Iran'.
"We had been told not to develop ties with Iran. But we will not abide (by the US)," he expounded.
Morales became the first indigenous leader of Bolivia after winning more than 53 percent of the votes in the 2006 presidential election - a rare absolute majority victory in the country.
Bolivia is among one of several South American states to improve ties with Tehran.