Iran accepts Venezuela's invitation

TEHRAN, July 2 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he welcomed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's invitation for closer ties between the nations.

Chavez -- who is in Iran for talks with Ahmadinejad -- invited Iran to join a Latin American initiative that would counter efforts by the United States to forge a free-trade pact in the region, El Universal newspaper reported Monday.

The proposed anti-U.S. trade pact for Latin America is headed up by Venezuela and Cuba.