Khatami congratulates Venezuelan nation for Chavez' return Tehran, April 20, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami on Friday evening congratulated the Venezuelan government and nation for the victory and restoration of the legitimate government of President Hugo Chavez after a failed military coup in that country. During a telephone conversation, President Khatami told his Venezuelan counterpart, President Hugo Chavex, that the return of the legitimate president and government to power was a victory of justice and freedom. The Iranian president also expressed the hope that with the return of President Chavez the Venezuelan government would be able to achieve its exalted objectives with the support of the people. Referring to the difficult period the venezuelan nation went through in the past week, President Chavez said the anti-democractic attempts to topple his government failed with the help of the Almighty God and the people. As to the re-establishment of legal order in his country, Chavez briefed the Iranian president on the latest developments in his country. Referring to the objective of those who were behind the military coup in Venezuela, Chavez said they wwanted to have Venezuela come out from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and therefore tried to produce more oil in order to undermine the organization. President Chavez thanked President Khatami for his telephone call and wished success for the Iranian government and nation. The two presidents expressed a mutual desire to meet in the near future. Iran, Sunday last week, sent congratulations to Venezuela on hearing of the return of the rule of law and reinstatement of the legitimate government of President Chavez after the two-day military collapsed. On Saturday it condemned the the ouster of the democratically elected president of Venezuela, saying, "resorting to a coup and the use of force is not an acceptable method to bring about political change and the method is not in conformity with the norms of present human society." Chavez was brought back to the Venezuelan presidential palace early Sunday by helicopter from a Caribbean island where he was detained after the coup and thereafter resumed his functions as president. Chavez, whose mandate was due to end in 2006, was forced out of office by the country's armed forces who blamed him for the deaths of 15 people during demonstrations in the streets of central Caracas against an opposition protest which later became violent. Chavez is a staunch supporter of oil production cuts in order to boost prices in the world market. He initiated a successful Caracas OPEC summit in September 2000, the second in the 40-year existence of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. FS/LS End